An 82-year-old man grieving the loss of his wife has been prosecuted over £35 worth of car tax that he claimed to have forgotten about. The pensioner living in sheltered housing was prosecuted under the Single Justice Procedure (SJP) after officials noticed he had not paid the fee on his Ford B-Max in September 2024. The man then wrote to the court, explaining he had been “preoccupied” due to his wife’s recent death. The case was heard last month.

The man said: “I paid the tax as soon as I became aware that I had forgotten.” He lives in the Saffron Walden constituency and was prosecuted after the previous car insurance expired on July 21, according to documents seen by the Standard. The man received a letter on September 7, a month after his wife’s death. Then, after no reply, the DVLA said a criminal prosecution would be initiated.

Due to the mechanics of the SPJ, the DVLA does not usually examine evidence presented, and defendants are not required to attend court, MailOnline reports.

The DVLA, as the prosecutor, could have decided to scrap the prosecution because it was not in the public interest. However, this was not considered.

The man pleaded guilty in writing to a charge of keeping a vehicle without a valid vehicle licence. He was given a three-month condition discharge.

The pensioner was also told to settle the £35 of unpaid tax, with him now having a criminal conviction.

Views are being sought on plans to overhaul private prosecutions to ensure they are in the public interest.

The planned shake-up will look at how the SJP can be improved.

The system was set up in 2015 to allow magistrates to decide on minor offences, such as using a television without a licence or driving without car insurance, without defendants going to court.

Justice minister Sarah Sackman KC said: “Fairness and transparency are at the heart of our justice system. However, certain organisations have been allowed to bring life-changing and unjust prosecutions affecting thousands of people, without robust checks and balances.

“It is time to hold prosecutors to account and provide oversight which protects ordinary people. We will ensure that prosecutions are always fair and in the public interest.”