My friend has been summoned to appear in court over breaking someone’s headlight. This person ran over their foot and

Expert's Assistant chat
Customer: Hi, my friend has been summoned to appear in court over breaking someone’s headlight. This person ran over their foot and they kicked the headlight in a reflex response. They offered to pay to fix it but the person still reported it. What is the likely punishment?
JA: What are the exact charges? Is this a first-time offense?
Customer: Second offence and property damage. He has messages to prove he offered to pay and it also shows him apologising
JA: Where did this occur? Criminal law varies by state.
Customer: south Australia
JA: Is there anything else the Lawyer should know before I connect you? Rest assured that they'll be able to help you.
Customer: this person that reported him has it out for him
Answered by John Melis in 1 min 1 year ago
imglogo
John Melis
10+ years of experience
logo

77516 Satisfied customers

Expert in: Family Law, Legal, Estate Law, Real Estate Law, Criminal Law, Employment Law, Business Law, Consumer Protection Law, Bankruptcy Law, Traffic Law, Personal Injury Law.

logoBack
logologo
John Melis
logo
logo
77516 Satisfied customers
logo
10+ years of experience
imglogo
John Melis
10+ years of experience
logo

77516 Satisfied customers

Jessica

Jessica

Consultant

31,131 Satisfied customers

Pearl avatar
Lawyer's, Assistant
116 Lawyers are online right now.
img

John Melis, Expert

Hello, I’m John Melis, a solicitor in Australia, and I’ll be helping you with your question today.
The potential charge by the court would be malicious damage, and also a possible traffic offence if it occurred on the road. So there could be two penalties that could be dealt with.
In either circumstance there will be a monetary fines payable by the court which could be substantial subject to the discretion of the court.
Does this help with your question today?

Customer
If it was purely an accident is there anything that can be done to better his chances of winning?
img

John Melis, Expert

The best way to increase a positive outcome is to have witnesses that were potentially at the scene of the incident. Testify in regards ***** ***** friends position.
Does this help with your question today?

Customer
There were no witnesses but could I still testify and give information on what the person who reported him is like?
img

John Melis, Expert

If you want to testify, you can put your case forward as well.

Customer
Given that he apologised and in the messages she told him to not worry about it and that he doesn’t need to pay for it, can this be used against her?
img

John Melis, Expert

You can use the statement as part of your evidence to the co

Customer
What is the worst outcome he could get given that it’s minor? Is there any chance of imprisonment?
img

John Melis, Expert

There is no imprisonment. It will just be a monetary

Customer
Okay Thankyou
img

John Melis, Expert

It was my pleasure to help you today, and I thank you for chatting with me.

Ask a lawyer and get your legal questions answered.
See all Legal Questions
img
Related Legal Questions
How it works
logoAsk for help, 24/7
Ask for help, 24/7
Members enjoy round-the-clock access to 12,000+ verified Experts, including doctors, lawyers, tech support, mechanics, vets, home repair pros, more.
logoExpert will respond in minutes
Expert will respond in minutes
After you reach out, we match you with an Expert who specializes in your situation. Talk, text, chat, whichever you prefer.
logoSave time & money
Save time & money
No scheduling hassles, missing time from work, or expensive consults.
A JustAnswer membership can save you significant time and money each month.
img
logo 593 Verified lawyers, 10+ years of experience
DISCLAIMER: Answers from Experts on Askalawyeroncall.com are not substitutes for the advice of an attorney. Askalawyeroncall.com is a public forum and questions and responses are not private or confidential or protected by the attorney-client privilege. The Expert above is not your attorney, and the response above is not legal advice. You should not read this response as proposing specific action or addressing your specific circumstances, but only to give you a sense of general principles of law that might affect the situation you describe. Application of these general principles to particular circumstances should be done by a lawyer who has spoken with you in confidence, learned all relevant information, and explored various options. Before acting on any information received from an Expert, you should hire a lawyer licensed to practice law in the jurisdiction to which your question pertains. The responses above are from independent, freelance Experts, who are not employed by Askalawyeroncall.com . The site and services are provided “as is”. To view the verified credentials of an Expert, click on the “Verified” symbol in the Expert’s profile. This site is not for emergency questions which should be directed immediately by telephone or in-person to qualified professionals. Please carefully read the Terms of Service.
Explore law categories
Powered by JustAnswer