Urgent advice needed please!

Please please please somebody help me with this. I am panicking so much. I was actually involved in a railway incident yesterday. I boarded the train from my normal station to my destination. Now normally I buy the tickets when I board the train. However yesterday there were no ticket inspectors on the train. I then realised that I had actually left my purse at home so I had no money and no card to purchase my train ticket. This had never happened to me before, and in a state of shock and panic I didn’t know what to do. As this was the first time I was without any money I was afraid that I’d be fined for not buying a ticket. I’m really not in a good financial situation at the moment and couldn’t risk being fined so stupidly I decided to purchase a ticket from a different station closer to my destination as it was cheaper and I had just about enough change in my pocket to pay for that ticket. However the guards at the station caught me out - I ended up purchasing that ticket and instead of telling them the truth, I panicked and was adamant that I didn’t lie and in fact I did board the train from the station I bought the ticket for. The guard took down my details and told me this could be potential fraud and that I should expect a letter soon. I got a letter today stating that the matter has been provisionally authorised for prosecution!!!I am really really scared and I really don’t know what to do. I’ve had several panic attacks so far and I really don’t want to be prosecuted. I am willing to pay any amount in a fine however there was no mention of a fine on the ticket, it was just prosecutions. Please help me out here, what should I expect from this situation??The train company was northern rail

Can you make a few things clearer and then I'll be able to help, I think.

Did you get off the train, get a ticket and then get back on or did you buy a ticket when you got to the destination and lied about where you had come from?

Prosecuted doesn't mean you're going to jail, so if that is what you're worried about, try and stay calm.

Panic attacks won't help you. In this case they made your situation worse. Best hope you'll just pay a big big fine and be left at that

I bought the ticket when I got to the destination and lied about where I had come from I know it was stupid but I didn’t have enough money for the full fare and I made a huge huge mistake by not admitting this to them

I feel like I will be prosecuted for fraud and I really want to settle this before it gets that far please help me

So how do they know that you haven't come from where you've said you've come from?

They asked me a trick question about the station and I answered incorrectly

I haven’t slept all night I’ve been worried sick someone please help me

If you can explain why you had to make the train journey and be honest with what you didn't know at that time (the fare for instance), you stand a chance of walking free after just a payment. I just can't see a criminal record on you, you've already admitted your wrongdoing and you've shown to an extent that you won't do it again

In a state of panic I didn’t admit to them where I had actually come from, they asked me repeatedly but I was too scared to tell them the truth and now this has happened. I really don’t know what to do

Then its a nothing case. I've sent you a PM

In a state of panic I didn’t admit to them where I had actually come from, they asked me repeatedly but I was too scared to tell them the truth and now this has happened. I really don’t know what to do

So you panicked and it got you in trouble. You only have another chance to save yourself, and that is through the letter you will write to the authorities

What do you mean by that?

I really don’t know what to write. If I admit it will it be used against me?

If you haven't admitted anything, then they don't have any proof.



If you admit it you'll get a lesser sentence than if you were not to admit it and get found guilty. When I say sentence, I don't mean jail.

From what you've said, there's no way the CPS pursue this, its really nothing to worry about.

If you haven't admitted anything, then they don't have any proof

I really don’t want a criminal record for something like this. I was desperately hoping I would get a fine and I’d be happy to pay whatever amount they give me as soon as I get paid. But in this situation instead of a fine they’ve simply said it’s been authorised for prosecution. I’ve spoken to a railway company and they have said it’s unusual for them to do that as normally people just get fined that they need to pay in 30 days. However this seems more serious as I lied and didn’t admit what I had done

You won't get a criminal record for telling a white lie, because there is no proof that you've done anything wrong.