Several years ago, my son was given a fixed penalty notice after
attempting to leave a store with goods on his trolley which hadn't been
paid for. It wasn't exactly shop lifting, but it seems he did know he
hadn't been charged for something and tried to leave the shop without
paying for it. A security guard stopped him, called the police, and my
son - largely out of embarrassment - admitted to what he'd done and
accepted an £80 fine on the understanding that things would go no
further and he wouldn't have a police record.
But of course, the police took all his details and, presumably, entered
his name on the Police National Computer. Interestingly, I seem to
remember something on the penalty notice given to him stating that
paying the fine did not constitute an admission of guilt, though it's
hard to see how it can be anything else. I've read several discussions
on the ramifications of accepting a fixed penalty notice rather than
standing up and arguing your case in court - but really, that's water
under the bridge now.
What concerns me is that he is planning to take over the running of a
pub sometime in the next few months and obviously has to apply for a
license. My question is this, would receiving a fixed penalty for such
an offence be sufficient grounds for the police to object to the
granting of a licence - or would the matter even arise? Apart from the
odd motoring offence has no other black marks against his name either
before or after this incident, which took place some three years ago.
Any advice would be gratefully received...
N |