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| Michael Howard convicted in speeding case Michael Howard convicted in speeding case | |
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| Michael Howard, the former leader of the Conservative party, has been convicted of failing to say who was driving his car when it was caught breaking the speed limit in south-east London. | Michael Howard, the former leader of the Conservative party, has been convicted of failing to say who was driving his car when it was caught breaking the speed limit in south-east London. |
| The Tory peer and his wife, Sandra, told Wimbledon magistrates court that either of them could have been driving their Toyota Prius when a speed camera clocked it travelling at more than 37mph in Lewisham, on 24 January, breaking the road’s 30mph speed limit. | The Tory peer and his wife, Sandra, told Wimbledon magistrates court that either of them could have been driving their Toyota Prius when a speed camera clocked it travelling at more than 37mph in Lewisham, on 24 January, breaking the road’s 30mph speed limit. |
| Howard was fined £900 and ordered to pay £625 costs and a victim surcharge of £90 after being found guilty of failing to give police information relating to the identification of a vehicle. He received six penalty points, which will be added to the three points already on his driving licence for speeding in 2014. | Howard was fined £900 and ordered to pay £625 costs and a victim surcharge of £90 after being found guilty of failing to give police information relating to the identification of a vehicle. He received six penalty points, which will be added to the three points already on his driving licence for speeding in 2014. |
| The couple had been returning to Westminster from a weekend at their house in Howard’s former constituency of Folkestone and Hythe, in Kent, when their car was caught breaking the speed limit. Howard, a QC, fought the case himself, calling his wife as a witness to back up his account. | The couple had been returning to Westminster from a weekend at their house in Howard’s former constituency of Folkestone and Hythe, in Kent, when their car was caught breaking the speed limit. Howard, a QC, fought the case himself, calling his wife as a witness to back up his account. |
| “When I’m with my wife, which is regularly, we have no regular routine,” he was quoted as telling the court. “We were driving back from Kent, a journey we make very regularly and who drives depends on circumstances of whether one of us is tired, has work to do or is reading.” | “When I’m with my wife, which is regularly, we have no regular routine,” he was quoted as telling the court. “We were driving back from Kent, a journey we make very regularly and who drives depends on circumstances of whether one of us is tired, has work to do or is reading.” |
| Asked if he recalled who was driving, Howard was quoted as saying by MailOnline: “I very much wish that I did, unfortunately I don’t.” His wife told the court: “We were not trying to hide anything. We simply couldn’t remember.” | Asked if he recalled who was driving, Howard was quoted as saying by MailOnline: “I very much wish that I did, unfortunately I don’t.” His wife told the court: “We were not trying to hide anything. We simply couldn’t remember.” |
| Howard claimed that because the speeding notification letter had arrived at his home while he and his wife were on holiday in Grenada, he did not open it until three weeks after the offence. “I tried as hard as I could to remember,” he said. | Howard claimed that because the speeding notification letter had arrived at his home while he and his wife were on holiday in Grenada, he did not open it until three weeks after the offence. “I tried as hard as I could to remember,” he said. |
| But prosecutor Andrew Perry said: “Shrugging your shoulders and saying, ‘I can’t remember,’ is not enough.” | But prosecutor Andrew Perry said: “Shrugging your shoulders and saying, ‘I can’t remember,’ is not enough.” |
| Despite that, district judge Barbara Barnes described the evidence given by both Howard and his wife as credible. “The defendant did speak to his wife to try and remember who was driving. They did rack their brains,” she said. | Despite that, district judge Barbara Barnes described the evidence given by both Howard and his wife as credible. “The defendant did speak to his wife to try and remember who was driving. They did rack their brains,” she said. |
| Howard said he intended to appeal against the verdict. | Howard said he intended to appeal against the verdict. |