i had dropped my son off at school at 8.55 am, and was in a position whereby i had to either reverse 15-20 yards back up the lane or do a 3 point turn by the school gate. As it was 8.55 and the inside gate was locked there were no children about i thought it would be ok to do this. I have never parked this far down before but there were no spaces when i arrived except one close by the entrance so i used it.(against my better judgement
) there are yellow zigag lines outside the gate, but as i never parked there, i only turned there, i thought it was quite ok. i was not rushing at all and as i approached the gate and stopped, i put my car in reverse and went to go back but a few mums came out of the school so i stopped and waited for them to pass to the side of my car, as i wanted to reverse into the track that they would have been crossing. passenger side. one mum stayed just to my left and did not cross so i thought she must be waiting for someone. i looked around and they had all passed over and were on the other side by now walking back up the lane away from my car. i looked again and started to reverse again slowly, i had gone about 3 feet and my reverse sensor started to beep quickly and i saw a shadow scurry past the back of the car from driver to passenger side. i immediately stopped and looked and there was a woman with a small child in hand. I mouthed through the window at her, 'what the hell are you doing?' as she had quite clearly walked/ran behind my car because she was late for school. she said a few choice words back at me and walked over to the path where this other woman was, and started talk to her. I was dumfounded!!! At no time did i feel any impact and my sensors did not slowly beep increasing to a fast beep, it was a sudden fast beep. The woman/women did not approach me at any time to say there had been a collision and i was there looking at them for about 10 seconds waiting for them to say something but they never did. I carried on reversing, and then drove out of the lane. passing the other women that i had let cross about 20 ft up the lane, walking away.
later that day I had a generic text from school telling parents to report unsafe driving at the school. I was sure this was aimed at me and was cross so i called the school and asked them to send out a text also telling parents not to cross the road when unsafe to do so but this never happened.
nothing more was said by anyone and so i went on my way. 2 weeks later i had NIP saying that i might be charged. there was a collision leaflet in the pack and i wondered what this was for so when i went to the school that day i asked the woman what had occurred; she said that i had hit her 5 year old. i was upset and said i hadn't, and why hadn't she said this when i stopped and shouted at her there and then to address this if i had done so. i asked her why she thought it was ok to walk behind my car whilst i was reversing and she said that i started to reverse when she was in the road, which was not true.
the group of women she was with were very antagonistic towards me and so i left, One in particular was telling me that i hit the girl, and i asked her if she was there and she said ‘no’ so how could she say anything. she was obviously being told this by the girls mum.
another told me to ‘wait for her statement’ i was upset, so i went home.
2 weeks had passed and not one person said anything to me.
i sent in my details with a full explanation/statement of events as i saw it and waited for a response.
A while later i had a message to call the police to arrange interview which i did, then phoned to cancel the next day, as i had to go to Barnsley unexpectedly . I spoke to an officer to cancel/rearrange and they assured me the message would be passed on but it never was and they turned up at my house only for my son to tell them i had had to go out. i got a phone call whilst in Barnsley asking me why i was not there and i explained again that i had called yesterday to cancel and was told that not to worry we would arrange something else;that someone would get back to me. no one did for a while then I was left messages on my answerphone but each time i rang back there was never anyone involved who was there to take my call only their answer machines, and i always left messages. I always responded to their messages left on my machines. it was just a case of missing each other. I never thought anything of it at all, then i received the summons for the 5th July and in a statement by a police officer, he has said that i was purposefully avoiding interview and i had ‘decided’ to go to Barnsley instead.
This is totally untrue, i have my phone records to show the times that i called the station and they would coincide with what i have said. i work as a mobile hairdresser and so cannot answer all my calls immediately but i did try to get hold of 3 officers. (i have their names) I wrote the appointment in my appointments book and wrote a note on the same to say it had been cancelled.
Then to cap it all, there are apparently now 2 other witnesses.
One who was definitely there as she stated in the position she had put on the plan. but the others were not.
she was on her own but another woman has put that she was in the same spot as her, this being one of the women i had stopped to let cross, so how could she have been where she said she was?
the last one says that her attention was only caught when another shouted oh my god. but never actually saw anything. her statement was taken on the 20th of April 3 months after the incident.
Now, i am not disputing that i was there or that an ‘incident’ took place, what i am disputing is ‘was it my fault? and i don't think it was as i was trying to be so careful, letting others pass, but she just came from nowhere.
i feel as though all the evidence is stacked against me as i know 110% that one of the women is lying about her position in the incident and the others are saying that i knew the mother and child were crossing
I would really like advice on this as i hate the thought of pleading guilty, as i feel i am not. (£60 fine and 3-6 points) or go to court to plead my case and still be found guilty because of lies, and then get more costs and points. i know this will cost me at least £1000 if i get a solicitor, which i cannot afford at all.
I am, as i said before a mobile hairdresser and need a clean licence for this job to be successful, and the thought of Driving without due care on my licence is mortifying. the thought that i would deliberately reverse into a mother and child is just absurd, especially as i had just stopped to let others pass.
I have all of the witness statements in hand They all say the same thing pretty much, they are all very clicky there and dislike cars driving near the school, which i totally understand in some cases but as i lived 5 miles from the school, i had no choice but to drive.
I will also add, that, as a result of the following insults and dirty looks since this, i have been so upset by it all that i have moved my son out of the school after breaking down in the headmistresses office one day when i told her what was happening.
all i want to know is, what are my chances of getting the magistrate to believe me over this clique who have not been totally honest.
I dont want to get any more stressed out and i think the easy option is to plead guilty but i am so so cross , because i didnt think i was. i wonder how long it would be before i got a letter form a compensation claim if i do plead guilty? but as i said before i cannot afford the costs. but also do not want this on my licence either. sad.gif sooooo confused