The magistrates are able to charge several hundreds of pounds costs,
and are quite likely to do so if they don't think the matter should
have ever come near them, and that the defendant can afford it (IANAL).


If it were me, I'd say a max £1000 fine (if that's still the case) and a
few hundred pounds costs would be an acceptable gamble in order to avoid
getting a criminal record.

I don't if it is the case, but one person's word against another's with
the prosecution having to prove to a criminal standard and that the
alarm or distress was a sufficiently serious to merit a restriction in
the right to free expression seems reasonable odds.

Of course that's balanced by my suspicion that magistrates just convict
on section 5 by reflex.

Anyone here who hasn't muttered an expletive whilst watching a motorist
do something stupid?