I received a caution for possession of a Class A substance in 2008. I was 21, at university and going through the break up of a toxic and abusive relationship. On the way home from a night out, the taxi I was in was stopped (I don’t know why) and I was searched, as I was clearly under the influence. I spent the night in a cell at the police station and the following morning, on the advice of the duty solicitor, was given the caution.
The effect of the caution was devastating: I had hoped to pursue a career in law and that immediately seemed beyond reach. Mentally and emotionally, the blame and shame I assigned to myself for having so stupidly curtailed my choices at 21 lasted for many, many years. My closest friends knew, but not my family who would have been appalled.
I was very lucky in that over the next couple of years I managed to pull things around: I got a good degree, I did some volunteering and in 2011 managed to get a job as a teacher. I fully disclosed my record and thankfully, the employer gave me a chance. I built a career in the education sector, and was relieved when after a few years, the record was stepped down and no longer appeared on my DBS certificate.
However, as life progressed, the issue of international travel and the implications of my record and the particular offence it was for, loomed large over my life. My DBS was clear now, but many visa application forms ask if you have a criminal record and indeed some countries like the USA do not allow you to enter at all if you have a record regarding illegal substances. My police certificate from ACRO would have ‘no live trace’ on it, indicating to any embassy/immigration official that I had a record with the police.
My career shifted and my new role had a significant amount of international travel built into it which I would not be able to do with the caution on my record. What was more, I now had a young daughter and the idea that her own opportunities to travel or live abroad might be impacted by something I did when I was 21 caused me a huge amount of distress.
I read about similar instances on the Unlock website, where the writers of particular case studies had successfully got their caution deleted. I decided to contact a solicitor who specialised in the deletion of cautions from the Police National Computer (PNC). I was hopeful that, having built a life of public service, with no further matters on my record since that night 17 years ago, that I might have a case to argue that keeping my caution on record was ‘not in the public interest’. My solicitor agreed that my chances seemed good but also warned that effectively, the decision is in the hands of the individual reading the application. There are guidelines but it is entirely at their discretion.
I am delighted – overjoyed – to share that yesterday I received news from my solicitor that my caution had been deleted from the PNC, along with all my other data. The relief, after nearly two decades of worry, is immense. I hope that this story encourages others to seek support if they too have a caution that is a one-off, historic incident. Hiring a solicitor is expensive – I am lucky to have been able to do it – but the investment is so, so worth it.
