Overview
- An 86-year-old from York was convicted under the Single Justice Procedure and given a three-month conditional discharge plus a £26 surcharge after a one-letter mistake on her Swinton Insurance paperwork.
- Enforcement records said her Suzuki Splash was uninsured on 6 February 2026 because the policy listed an F instead of an S in the number plate, which meant the cover did not apply to her actual car.
- The DVLA said it will contact her to check the documents and will seek to have the conviction overturned if the typo is confirmed as the cause.
- Magistrate David Pollard decided the case on written evidence alone without a prosecutor present, which is how the Single Justice Procedure works and why letters from the woman and her niece did not trigger a fresh review before the verdict.
- A judicial audit of the Single Justice Procedure, led by Lord Justice Green after a 2025 government consultation, is nearing recommendations to the Interim Magistrates Executive Board.