Plse help Me!!!!

[tanya1981]

I am a registered childminder and have been since Nov 08, It's my main income and today something really bad happened, I'm scared and worried that I will no longer be able to work as a childminder and would really appreciate your advice please....

I went out after having words with a family member earlier today, I went down the road in my car obviously fuming...(I'm not going to lie) another car nearly crashed into mine and I went to carry on as it didn't hit mine, a girl in the car was swearing and f-ing and blinding at me and I stopped the car and in all honesty said 'whats your problem' when I did this, she was looking for something frantically in her bag...anyway she got out the car and went to grab me so I pushed her off me, now I'm not silly I know I should not of got out of the car, but problem is I did!!!! :panic:

She had a silver item in her hand and brought her hand up and round to my waist and dug it at me........I called the police and told them exactly what happened, they said I shouldn't of got out of the car and an ambulance came to check her out!!!! I kept saying to the police man, but she dug me (with what at the time I thought was a knife, it wasn't it was a pen...but I didn't know this when I pushed her off me) I have marks on my waist and the police have taken pictures of it and so have I.

All I know after 2 hours with police etc...is that I was put on 'street bail' what ever that is???? and told to go to the police station in a week, the police man said that I have been put on bail and that the worse case scenario is that I could be charged with common assault!!!!!

Now I know you are probably thinking well....you get what you deserve because you shouldn't of got out of the car, but can I just explain to you that I am 33 years old, have NEVER EVER in my the whole of my 33 years in life ever had a criminal record, a caution, even a speeding fine this is an incident where this has happened before I even knew what was happening....

what I want to know is do you thinkl I lose my registration? do I contact Ofsted and get advice? do I have to wait to I go to the police station to see if I'm charged? I really don't know what to do, all I know is that it all happpened so fast and now I risk losing my job....

For anyone out there that may get into the same situation as me,all I can say is please stay in your car and don't get out as I risk losing my livelyhood now and yes I got out and had a go, but I didn't do anything else but defend myself.

Thnak you for taking time to read this and offer your opinions/advice.
;0(

[Pipsqueak]

so hang on - let me get this straight - this other woman assaulted you with an implement (what you later found out to be a pen) and you are the one who has been 'bailed'? so was you actually arrested?

Was the other woman arrested do you know.

Ok ok you shouldn't have got behind the wheel fuming (I presume you weren't minding at the time) but we have all done it.
Yes you shouldn;t have responded to teh other woman - but I would say a lot of us have.

A lot of shouldn't have - hindsight is great isn;t it.

I would say get yourself some legal representation first thing tomorrow and see where you stand first of all as a priority.

As for contacting Ofsted, I would see what legal representation says first and if he thinks its going to be drawn out, yes go on teh offensive and contact Ofsted yoruself Monday morning and explain the situation

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2262526.stm (street bail)

[tanya1981]

No I wasn't childminding, the policeman said as I had my daughter with me that he wouldn't arrest me but gave me this 'street bail' thing, I explained what happened and was totally honest to the police, it was me who called them...and as I said,I told police... I did get out the car and was more or less shouting at her saying 'whats your problem' however she made 1st contact and when I thought it was a knife, I pushed her away from me other than that I didn't hit her 1st, I reacted to her actions.

My brother said same thing to me, 'if you thought it was a knife and she made a mark on you ....why didn't she get arrested?' the police officer came home with me to see my car insurance documents....and take picture of my injury...but he said nothing about her being arrested only that I should go on a specfic day to the police station where I will be interviewed.

[Ripeberry]

How scary for you! I used to be the type to get in my car years ago and drive badly when in a mood and have a go at anyone else who drove badly.
Then I did the IAM test (Institute of Advanced Motorists) and it calmed me right down and I'm a very good driver and if someone annoys me I just let them go by.
But in the heat of the moment it is difficult. I would never get out of a car anyway, just blare my horn and if they came up to me being abusive I would show them my Farb spray.
It's an identification spray, covers the assailant in red paint that they can't get off for days.
I used to carry it around when I was on night home care duties as I had to cover some rough areas :(