DVLA prosecutes Wolverhampton stroke victim who cannot walk or talk over £16.67 car tax bill

From the Newshound archive · first published 28 September 2026 · last updated 29 September 2026.

A 47-year-old mother left unable to walk or speak after a stroke has been convicted of keeping an unlicensed vehicle after the DVLA prosecuted her over an unpaid £16.67 car tax bill. Her medical team submitted 14 pages of records explaining she had given up driving due to seizures and had misunderstood the requirement to annually renew her Statutory Off Road Notification. She was convicted anyway by magistrate Gary May at Birmingham Magistrates' Court and ordered to pay the outstanding sum, leaving her with a criminal record.

The case used the Single Justice Procedure, a fast-track system where prosecutors NEVER see defendants' letters — so the DVLA never reviewed whether pursuing the case served the public interest.

Her occupational therapist told the court she is 'overwhelmed' by paperwork, suffers memory loss and was 'very distressed' at being accused of breaking the law.

Despite being convicted, she was handed a discharge — meaning her only punishment is paying the original £16.67, but she now carries a criminal conviction on her record.