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| Vicky Pryce told 'barefaced lies' in court, says prosecutor | Vicky Pryce told 'barefaced lies' in court, says prosecutor |
| (about 2 months later) | |
| Vicky Pryce told "barefaced lies" to "manipulate" a jury into believing she was forced to take speeding points for her ex-husband, the disgraced politician Chris Huhne, a court has been told. | Vicky Pryce told "barefaced lies" to "manipulate" a jury into believing she was forced to take speeding points for her ex-husband, the disgraced politician Chris Huhne, a court has been told. |
| In his closing argument at Southwark crown court on Tuesday, Andrew Edis QC told the jury that Pryce, a senior economist, was not the easily bullied woman she had sought to portray herself as in court. | In his closing argument at Southwark crown court on Tuesday, Andrew Edis QC told the jury that Pryce, a senior economist, was not the easily bullied woman she had sought to portray herself as in court. |
| "She's not a vulnerable witness, she knows what she's doing. She's very clever. The lies have a purpose," he said. | "She's not a vulnerable witness, she knows what she's doing. She's very clever. The lies have a purpose," he said. |
| Pryce admits taking the points in 2003 on behalf of her then husband, but has pleaded not guilty to perverting the course of justice on the grounds of marital coercion, saying he forced her to lie that she had been driving. | Pryce admits taking the points in 2003 on behalf of her then husband, but has pleaded not guilty to perverting the course of justice on the grounds of marital coercion, saying he forced her to lie that she had been driving. |
| Huhne, 58, the former energy minister, has already pleaded guilty to the same charge and is awaiting sentencing, having resigned from his parliamentary seat. | Huhne, 58, the former energy minister, has already pleaded guilty to the same charge and is awaiting sentencing, having resigned from his parliamentary seat. |
| Edis told the jury to "look at who you are trying", calling Pryce, 60, who was at one point one of the government's most senior economists, "one of the most powerful, talented, intelligent and trusted people in the country". They should consider, he said, whether she had had her "will overborne" by Huhne when she signed a form to say she had been driving. | Edis told the jury to "look at who you are trying", calling Pryce, 60, who was at one point one of the government's most senior economists, "one of the most powerful, talented, intelligent and trusted people in the country". They should consider, he said, whether she had had her "will overborne" by Huhne when she signed a form to say she had been driving. |
| "Do you really think there's any prospect of this woman having been reduced to such a quivering jelly that when she sent the form she thought she had no choices? Is she the quivering jelly kind? Or is she the kind of person to stand her ground to make her own choices? Yes she is," said Edis. | "Do you really think there's any prospect of this woman having been reduced to such a quivering jelly that when she sent the form she thought she had no choices? Is she the quivering jelly kind? Or is she the kind of person to stand her ground to make her own choices? Yes she is," said Edis. |
| Pryce had lied to the jury when she told them she did not want to "nail" Huhne by speaking to the Sunday Times in 2011, he said. She had lied when she said she did not try to place the story with the Mail on Sunday, and she had lied over claims she did not want the speeding allegations story in the public domain, Edis said. | Pryce had lied to the jury when she told them she did not want to "nail" Huhne by speaking to the Sunday Times in 2011, he said. She had lied when she said she did not try to place the story with the Mail on Sunday, and she had lied over claims she did not want the speeding allegations story in the public domain, Edis said. |
| Edis said Pryce approached the Mail on Sunday in November 2010 and tried to "peddle a false story" about one of Huhne's constituency aides being bullied into taking his points when he was an MEP. | Edis said Pryce approached the Mail on Sunday in November 2010 and tried to "peddle a false story" about one of Huhne's constituency aides being bullied into taking his points when he was an MEP. |
| But Julian Knowles QC, for Pryce, said she was a "different person in 2003" from the woman they had heard in taped conversations with Huhne in 2011. | But Julian Knowles QC, for Pryce, said she was a "different person in 2003" from the woman they had heard in taped conversations with Huhne in 2011. |
| "Success doesn't make you immune from unhappiness, or make you invulnerable to pressure, or give you an armour from coercion at home," he said. | "Success doesn't make you immune from unhappiness, or make you invulnerable to pressure, or give you an armour from coercion at home," he said. |
| He said Edis was portraying Pryce as "cold" and "bloodless". | He said Edis was portraying Pryce as "cold" and "bloodless". |
| The breakup of Pryce and Huhne's 26-year marriage in 2010 when his affair with PR adviser Carina Trimingham, 46, was discovered by newspapers, had left her open to humiliation, he said. | The breakup of Pryce and Huhne's 26-year marriage in 2010 when his affair with PR adviser Carina Trimingham, 46, was discovered by newspapers, had left her open to humiliation, he said. |
| Trimingham had been introduced to Pryce as a lesbian, he said. "Mr Huhne had probably used that as deliberate cover to allay any fears, no doubt, that Ms Pryce had about her husband being away all the time," he added. | Trimingham had been introduced to Pryce as a lesbian, he said. "Mr Huhne had probably used that as deliberate cover to allay any fears, no doubt, that Ms Pryce had about her husband being away all the time," he added. |
| "She had had her suspicions deliberately dulled because Miss Trimingham was introduced to her as a woman with a civil partnership." | "She had had her suspicions deliberately dulled because Miss Trimingham was introduced to her as a woman with a civil partnership." |
| The press coverage was "salacious", he said, and: "You could understand how that would add up to Miss Pryce's humiliation." | The press coverage was "salacious", he said, and: "You could understand how that would add up to Miss Pryce's humiliation." |
| He said Huhne's behaviour on the discovery of the affair was "callous and selfish". | He said Huhne's behaviour on the discovery of the affair was "callous and selfish". |
| "Given the way her husband frankly dumped her, a slightly vengeful response was a perfectly normal reaction and a degree of desire for revenge was a perfectly human emotion," he said. | "Given the way her husband frankly dumped her, a slightly vengeful response was a perfectly normal reaction and a degree of desire for revenge was a perfectly human emotion," he said. |
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