Harriet Harman fined £350 for driving offence
in [UK Drivers]
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From: Vicko Zoomba on 8 Jan 2010 07:42 Harriet Harman, deputy leader of the Labour Party, has admitted driving without due care and attention. The minister was fined £350 and ordered to pay £75 costs and a victim surcharge of £15 after her lawyer entered the guilty plea at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court. Her driving licence was also endorsed with three points. The court heard that a second charge of driving while using a mobile phone had been withdrawn. The MP for Camberwell and Peckham was at the centre of a police inquiry after she was allegedly involved in a minor collision with a parked car. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) issued a summons accusing her of driving without due care and attention and driving while using a hand- held mobile phone. The 59-year-old minister did not attend today's hearing. Instead she was at a Cabinet meeting in nearby Downing Street. Scotland Yard officers questioned Ms Harman after the incident in Dulwich, south London, on July 3 last year, the day she visited the scene of a fire in a Camberwell tower block in which six people died. The Special Crime Division passed a file to prosecutors who decided there was sufficient evidence and it was in the public interest to take her to court. The case is particularly embarrassing for Ms Harman as she is a QC, Privy Council member and former Solicitor General. Careless driving can be punished with a fine of up to £5,000, a licence endorsement of up to nine points and a driving ban. A spokeswoman for the Cabinet Minister said: "Ms Harman fully accepts the court's judgment. "Ms Harman is pleased that the potential charges of leaving the scene of an accident without exchanging particulars and failing to report an accident to the police have been dropped. "Ms Harman is pleased that it has been established that this was not a 'hit and run' accident as portrayed in some media reports. It was a parking incident and no damage was done. "Ms Harman has pointed out that she was in her constituency attending the emergency reception centre for residents who had been evacuated from the fire at Lakanal House in Camberwell." Prosecutor Michael Jennings said Ms Harman was involved in a minor collision in Bushey Hill Road, Camberwell, south east London. He said she was attempting to manoeuvre her Rover 75 out from between two parked vehicles when she reversed into one of them. The court heard that the 59-year-old was using her mobile phone when she got into the car and throughout the low speed incident. Mr Jennings said the owner of the parked car was watching from his flat nearby and called police to report the bump. But the prosecutor said no damage was caused to either car and no insurance claims had been made. The incident took place on July 3 last year at 10pm after Ms Harman visited constituents made homeless by a fire at a block of flats. The court heard that she already has six penalty points on her licence after being caught twice speeding in a 30mph zone. The first speeding incident happened in April 2007 and the second in April 2008. Motorists who accumulate 12 points on their licence face a ban Ms Harman now has a total of nine. Solicitor Mark Haslam, who represented Ms Harman, said the matter could have been dealt with by letter. He asked for the "maximum credit" for his client's guilty plea which was given after "other matters" were dropped by prosecutors. Mr Haslam said: "This is a parking manoeuvre. It takes place in a very short timespan. It takes place at a very slow speed, less than 5mph. "There is no injury, no damage and no insurance claim by either party in relation to either vehicle." Sentencing, District Judge Nicholas Evans said: "I propose a fine of £350, costs of £70, a victim surcharge of £15 and the licence will be endorsed with three penalty points." Ms Harman was given seven days to pay. No details of her financial circumstances were revealed in court. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/6950594/Harriet-Harman-fined-350-for-driving-offence.html - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - My, oh my. I wonder why the phone charge was dropped. Weren't the witness statements enough? McKevvy
From: Bod on 8 Jan 2010 07:48 Vicko Zoomba wrote: > Harriet Harman, deputy leader of the Labour Party, has admitted > driving without due care and attention. > > The minister was fined �350 and ordered to pay �75 costs and a victim > surcharge of �15 after her lawyer entered the guilty plea at City of > Westminster Magistrates' Court. > > Her driving licence was also endorsed with three points. > > The court heard that a second charge of driving while using a mobile > phone had been withdrawn. > > The MP for Camberwell and Peckham was at the centre of a police > inquiry after she was allegedly involved in a minor collision with a > parked car. > > The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) issued a summons accusing her of > driving without due care and attention and driving while using a hand- > held mobile phone. > > The 59-year-old minister did not attend today's hearing. > > Instead she was at a Cabinet meeting in nearby Downing Street. > > Scotland Yard officers questioned Ms Harman after the incident in > Dulwich, south London, on July 3 last year, the day she visited the > scene of a fire in a Camberwell tower block in which six people died. > > The Special Crime Division passed a file to prosecutors who decided > there was sufficient evidence and it was in the public interest to > take her to court. > > The case is particularly embarrassing for Ms Harman as she is a QC, > Privy Council member and former Solicitor General. > > Careless driving can be punished with a fine of up to �5,000, a > licence endorsement of up to nine points and a driving ban. > > A spokeswoman for the Cabinet Minister said: "Ms Harman fully accepts > the court's judgment. > > "Ms Harman is pleased that the potential charges of leaving the scene > of an accident without exchanging particulars and failing to report an > accident to the police have been dropped. > > "Ms Harman is pleased that it has been established that this was not a > 'hit and run' accident as portrayed in some media reports. It was a > parking incident and no damage was done. > > "Ms Harman has pointed out that she was in her constituency attending > the emergency reception centre for residents who had been evacuated > from the fire at Lakanal House in Camberwell." > > Prosecutor Michael Jennings said Ms Harman was involved in a minor > collision in Bushey Hill Road, Camberwell, south east London. > > He said she was attempting to manoeuvre her Rover 75 out from between > two parked vehicles when she reversed into one of them. > > The court heard that the 59-year-old was using her mobile phone when > she got into the car and throughout the low speed incident. > > Mr Jennings said the owner of the parked car was watching from his > flat nearby and called police to report the bump. > > But the prosecutor said no damage was caused to either car and no > insurance claims had been made. > > The incident took place on July 3 last year at 10pm after Ms Harman > visited constituents made homeless by a fire at a block of flats. > > The court heard that she already has six penalty points on her licence > after being caught twice speeding in a 30mph zone. > > The first speeding incident happened in April 2007 and the second in > April 2008. > > Motorists who accumulate 12 points on their licence face a ban � Ms > Harman now has a total of nine. > > Solicitor Mark Haslam, who represented Ms Harman, said the matter > could have been dealt with by letter. > > He asked for the "maximum credit" for his client's guilty plea which > was given after "other matters" were dropped by prosecutors. > > Mr Haslam said: "This is a parking manoeuvre. It takes place in a very > short timespan. It takes place at a very slow speed, less than 5mph. > > "There is no injury, no damage and no insurance claim by either party > in relation to either vehicle." > > Sentencing, District Judge Nicholas Evans said: "I propose a fine of > �350, costs of �70, a victim surcharge of �15 and the licence will be > endorsed with three penalty points." > > Ms Harman was given seven days to pay. No details of her financial > circumstances were revealed in court. > > http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/6950594/Harriet-Harman-fined-350-for-driving-offence.html > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > My, oh my. I wonder why the phone charge was dropped. Weren't the > witness statements enough? > > McKevvy > > Agreed, surely the phone records were checked? If so and she did use her phone whilst driving, then it smacks of a cover up. Bod
From: JNugent on 8 Jan 2010 07:58 Adrian wrote: > Bod <bodron57(a)tiscali.co.uk> gurgled happily, sounding much like they were > saying: > >> Agreed, surely the phone records were checked? > > The phone records would not prove whether she committed that offence or > not. She must have denied it, then? Unless she exercised her right to say nowt.
From: Mortimer on 8 Jan 2010 07:59 "Adrian" <toomany2cvs(a)gmail.com> wrote in message news:7qonugFp5bU22(a)mid.individual.net... > Vicko Zoomba <vicko_zoomba(a)hotmail.com> gurgled happily, sounding much > like they were saying: > >> Harriet Harman, deputy leader of the Labour Party, has admitted driving >> without due care and attention. > >> My, oh my. I wonder why the phone charge was dropped. Weren't the >> witness statements enough? > > I'm quite happy with DWDC&A being the only charge that's stuck. It's the > most serious of them. I think DWDC&A and a £350 fine is very severe for an accident that caused no damage that resulted in anyone contacting their insurance company. When I saw the headline about a £350 fine, I assumed it was for using her phone while driving and/or "failing to report an accident" (to the owner of the car as opposed to a witness), both of which offences were mentioned when the incident was originally reported. But if she wasn't charged with those or if the charges were later dropped, then all that's left is a minor nudge that should have been sorted out with a few quid changing hands to cover any damage and no need to take it further. I suspect that the owner of the car was out to cause maximum trouble and embarrassment to HH. Maybe the phone charge was dropped because it was difficult to prove to the second when the accident occurred, to relate it to when she was on the phone. She could say "yes, I was using the phone but I stopped, then set off and a second or so later hit the car". But there were witnesses as well.
From: Nkosi (ama-ecosse) on 8 Jan 2010 08:08
On 8 Jan, 12:59, "Mortimer" <m...(a)privacy.net> wrote: > "Adrian" <toomany2...(a)gmail.com> wrote in message > > news:7qonugFp5bU22(a)mid.individual.net... > > > Vicko Zoomba <vicko_zoo...(a)hotmail.com> gurgled happily, sounding much > > like they were saying: > > >> Harriet Harman, deputy leader of the Labour Party, has admitted driving > >> without due care and attention. > > >> My, oh my. I wonder why the phone charge was dropped. Weren't the > >> witness statements enough? > > > I'm quite happy with DWDC&A being the only charge that's stuck. It's the > > most serious of them. > > I think DWDC&A and a £350 fine is very severe for an accident that caused no > damage that resulted in anyone contacting their insurance company. When I > saw the headline about a £350 fine, I assumed it was for using her phone > while driving and/or "failing to report an accident" (to the owner of the > car as opposed to a witness), both of which offences were mentioned when the > incident was originally reported. But if she wasn't charged with those or if > the charges were later dropped, then all that's left is a minor nudge that > should have been sorted out with a few quid changing hands to cover any > damage and no need to take it further. I suspect that the owner of the car > was out to cause maximum trouble and embarrassment to HH. > > Maybe the phone charge was dropped because it was difficult to prove to the > second when the accident occurred, to relate it to when she was on the > phone. She could say "yes, I was using the phone but I stopped, then set off > and a second or so later hit the car". But there were witnesses as well. Should have been hung, drawn and quartered like the rest of us. Nkosi |