Joyriding?? Help!?

Question

Right, basically.. A party was going on at my house, we'd all had some drinks.. && I took my mates moped out without permission (though, he lets me ride it whenever i want anyway).. It wasn't on a public road, it was on a backstreet, which you could say is privatley owned. I crashed it, and he knows full well its me. The police are involved && i have to go the the police station with my dad & a solicitor this week (I'm 15 by the way). So basically, anyone with knowledge on Law and Ethics.. help me out? What would be the wiser decisions, and what will happen to me?

I've already told the family of my friend && my friend a full confession.

All helps appreciated...

Answer 1

take the fall for the crash and pay your friend, but do not volunteer any information that the police do not already know. if they don't know you were drinking, don't tell them. i hope you learned a lesson, though. you could have been hurt or hurt someone else.

Answer 2

It sounds like they might have you dead to rights, If no one saw you crash, than you might be able to lie and call heresay as to what the family and the friend say, but if there are witnesses you are out of luck

Answer 3

You are going to pay for your stupid actions.

As you should.

Answer 4

Firstly, a back street is a street, period.  If it was privately owned and not a road or public place for the sake of the road traffic laws then you wouldn't be allowed access to it.  A public place is defined in law as a place to which the public have access whether by payment or otherwise.  As such, the road traffic laws apply.

The relevant offences here are aggravated taking without owners consent (TWOC) but if your friend allows you to use the moped then this may not apply.  Having said that, if you are 15 you are not insured and your friend would know that.  This means your friend is committing the offence of permitting you to use an uninsured vehicle, which holds the same penalty as you would get.  You are also driving other than in accordance with a licence, possibly dangerous driving and driving without due consideration depending on the full circumstances.

Your best bet is to be big enough to own up and not do it again.  You are likely to get a hefty fine and points on the licence that you don’t yet have.  When you do get a licence, these points will be added but what penalty you get will be down to the Courts.

Lastly, there’s no such thing as ‘joyriding’.  It’s not a joy for people like me to have to scrape up the remains of people like you off the roads when you have a collision and kill yourself.  Worse still, its not nice having to deal with someone else killed or injured as a result of your stupidity.  Even worse then that, delivering death messages to tell someone their loved ones have been killed is one of the worst things in my job.

It’s children like you that also cost the taxpayers and the honest drivers out there a lot of money.  You deserve all you get.

Answer 5

That solicitor you mention will give you better help and advice than anyone here can.

Sounds like you're going to be charged. Taking without consent. No licence, no insurance, you're facing a ban before you even get a licence. Quite a large fine too I should imagine

Answer 6

Your friend letting you ride it anytime you want is not the same thing as permission. If he reported it stolen, you stole it. A privately owned street would not involve the police unless the owner called because of damage to the property. Bottom line, it all depends on your friend, the property owner, the amount of damage, and the police. You are looking at everything from a "Don't do that again!" all the way up to theft, negligence and jail time. Do whatever the solicitor tells you and keep your mouth shut.

  Due to the accent, are you out of the USA?

Answer 7

I hope you get busted BIG time.

You don't deserve any help.

Idiot.

Answer 8

The wisest decision would be to get a job to pay for the damages.  The cops will find your fingerprints all over the car, there will be no denying your involvement.

Answer 9

Just be honest.  Most likely, they will require a police report for insurance purposes, and restitution.  Just take responsibility.  The truth is, you were drinking (shouldn't have been - Status Offense); Then without permission (just because he let's you use it, doesn't mean that's permission - that's implied or assumed permission); and then you wreck it leaving your friend without a bike (If that's your friend, you would feel bad, and would make it right).

You may end up with some form of informal probation for the drinking, but if it's your first time, and your sorry about it - you will probably have to worry more about your parents.

Good Luck Hun!