A 52-year-old disabled woman from Grimsby has been handed a criminal conviction for failing to pay her TV licence while she was grieving the recent death of her sister and suffering from medical complications.
The woman, who remains unnamed to protect her privacy, was prosecuted under the controversial Single Justice Procedure (SJP)—a fast-track court system used for low-level offences such as TV licence evasion. At the time of the alleged offence, she was heavily medicated and suffering from “brain fog,” a condition that affects her memory and cognition.
Her son wrote a heartfelt letter to the court in an attempt to explain her situation, stating that she had become confused over household bills in the wake of her sister’s passing and had not knowingly broken the law. Despite these mitigating circumstances, the prosecution was allowed to proceed.
Court documents show that a TV Licensing agent visited her home in October last year, where she openly admitted to watching a BBC documentary, unaware that her TV licence had expired. During the doorstep conversation, she also mentioned her mental health struggles, saying: “My sister recently died so I have been struggling with my mental health.”
TV Licensing opted to pursue legal action after receiving no response to an out-of-court settlement offer. The woman was ultimately handed a six-month conditional discharge by Reading Magistrates’ Court, and ordered to pay £60 in court costs and a £26 victim surcharge.
In his letter to the court, her son pleaded for leniency, explaining: “She has medical conditions that cause her to get confused and have brain fog, leading her to be in a mess with bills. She forgets which ones she’s paid and which ones she still has to pay. She’s heavily medicated due to her disabilities.”
He continued: “During the time the interviewer came round, we had just lost my auntie, my mum’s youngest sister. She was grief-stricken, as was I, and she got into a serious mess with all bills, but she was honest with the gentleman interviewing her. She didn’t lie, she said she had a TV and she watched BBC.”
He concluded the letter by assuring the court that the family had now stepped in to manage her finances and would ensure she stayed on top of payments going forward.
TV Licensing has since confirmed that the court did not refer the son’s letter to them before the case was decided. A spokesperson said: “If someone’s circumstances indicate that the prosecution may not have been in the public interest, we will investigate and withdraw the case if there is sufficient evidence. We were not aware of this mitigation at the time.”
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The agency emphasised that criminal proceedings are a “last resort” and that their field agents are trained to identify vulnerable individuals and offer appropriate support.
The case has fuelled further criticism of the Single Justice Procedure, which is already under government review. The system, designed to handle minor offences without full court hearings, has faced backlash for allegedly producing injustices, particularly against vulnerable people such as the elderly, disabled, and bereaved.
One proposal under current consultation would require prosecutors to review all letters of mitigation before proceeding with cases. However, no immediate changes have been implemented while the review is ongoing.
This Grimsby case is just the latest in a growing list of examples where grieving or vulnerable individuals have found themselves criminalised for minor administrative oversights, raising fresh concerns over the fairness and human cost of Britain’s justice-by-post system.
