Tweet
UKCRS claim
Hi,
So about 7 months ago when I was 17, I made the horrible mistake of taking £20 from a cash register at a retail store, it was caught on CCTV and once again I stupidly denied this at a disciplinary hearing at work with a private investigator. I was asked if I am happy to pay back the costs of the theft and I agreed, he then said I would be paying back the cost of the hiring of the private investigator in which I did not agree to. Another video was showed of me putting a USB stick in my pocket, which I regularly did when carrying items back to the stock room, and I know I did not do this. Because I was stupid enough to deny the cash theft, the police were informed and two meetings were arranged. The first was a brief summary of what I had been accused of, and I was told that if I admitted to everything my punishment would be "severly reduced, if not ignored". I felt this is an unfair thing to say to an under 18 year old especially on dodgy evidence regarding a USB stick that I was told by the investigator would range from "£12 to £38" as they did not know the size of it. In the second meeting, I went ahead and admitted to everything and he had asked if I would pay back the items that I stole, in which I agreed to. I was given a 2 year spent conviction, in which was fair enough for my horrible actions, but as I have not responded to the call from the UKCRS yet I have a few questions as I would like to be prepared::
1. I never agreed to a private investigator and the investigator was called before the manager even informed me. Shouldn't any damning evidence be sent to the police straightaway, as the disciplinary hearing was not needed at work, especially if I denied it to my employer. I was told I would be potentially paying back the costs at the end of the hearing, with no say regarding the matter. If this comes up in the claim, do I have grounds to despute it or not?
2. Do I dispute the USB stick cost even if I admitted it in my second police interview but had not actually taken it? There is little evidence to show I took it and I know I did not take it.
3. If I was not told by the police that I was going to pay back the costs, is it the retail store making a claim directly to the UKCRS, or is it the police putting the claim forwards on behalf of the retails store? If it is the first, then the costs I had been told about were not at all set, therefore should I ask for a full breakdown of the costs?
To note, I am now 18 at university and have tried to put that stage of my life behind me as it wasn't exactly a bright spot. I don't want to risk going into a full blown court case so what would be the best way of me going about the questions I have asked.
Any replies would be greatly appreciated, thanks.
Â*
So about 7 months ago when I was 17, I made the horrible mistake of taking £20 from a cash register at a retail store, it was caught on CCTV and once again I stupidly denied this at a disciplinary hearing at work with a private investigator. I was asked if I am happy to pay back the costs of the theft and I agreed, he then said I would be paying back the cost of the hiring of the private investigator in which I did not agree to. Another video was showed of me putting a USB stick in my pocket, which I regularly did when carrying items back to the stock room, and I know I did not do this. Because I was stupid enough to deny the cash theft, the police were informed and two meetings were arranged. The first was a brief summary of what I had been accused of, and I was told that if I admitted to everything my punishment would be "severly reduced, if not ignored". I felt this is an unfair thing to say to an under 18 year old especially on dodgy evidence regarding a USB stick that I was told by the investigator would range from "£12 to £38" as they did not know the size of it. In the second meeting, I went ahead and admitted to everything and he had asked if I would pay back the items that I stole, in which I agreed to. I was given a 2 year spent conviction, in which was fair enough for my horrible actions, but as I have not responded to the call from the UKCRS yet I have a few questions as I would like to be prepared::
1. I never agreed to a private investigator and the investigator was called before the manager even informed me. Shouldn't any damning evidence be sent to the police straightaway, as the disciplinary hearing was not needed at work, especially if I denied it to my employer. I was told I would be potentially paying back the costs at the end of the hearing, with no say regarding the matter. If this comes up in the claim, do I have grounds to despute it or not?
2. Do I dispute the USB stick cost even if I admitted it in my second police interview but had not actually taken it? There is little evidence to show I took it and I know I did not take it.
3. If I was not told by the police that I was going to pay back the costs, is it the retail store making a claim directly to the UKCRS, or is it the police putting the claim forwards on behalf of the retails store? If it is the first, then the costs I had been told about were not at all set, therefore should I ask for a full breakdown of the costs?
To note, I am now 18 at university and have tried to put that stage of my life behind me as it wasn't exactly a bright spot. I don't want to risk going into a full blown court case so what would be the best way of me going about the questions I have asked.
Any replies would be greatly appreciated, thanks.
Â*
