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Councillor will struggle to get cheap motor insurance quote after being dobbed in by adversary
A Hertfordshire councillor is going to have trouble finding a cheap motor insurance quote after a political adversary reported him to the police for driving whilst disqualified.
Cllr John Newman, an independent councillor for St Albans, had been disqualified for six months following a speeding conviction. However, Cllr Melvyn Teare, who represents the Lib Dems, observed him driving out of a car park after a meeting of the council and immediately telephoned the police.
When interviewed, Cllr Newman, 70, originally claimed that he had not been at the meeting and had not driven. However, he relented after proof of his attendance was shown to him but would not confirm that it was him that had been caught on CCTV.
At the end of a long court process, he finally submitted a last-minute guilty plea.
He was accused of creating a "catalogue of prevarication and denial" by the prosecution solicitor, Sam Dunn.
Mr Dunn also commented: "If this case had gone to trial his level of prevarication and evasiveness would have been clear. This is something that could have been dealt with in the interviews or in the interviews or at the first hearing."
Cllr Newman's defence solicitor explained the incident: "When he drives into the road [from the car park] and turns the car around he has committed the offence of driving while disqualified. His wife then gets in the car with their daughter and she drives away but the witness didn't see that."
Cllr Newman was given a further three month driving ban, a fine of £500 and was ordered to pay £750 court costs.
Following the hearing, the disappointed councillor said: "It doesn't do anything to enthuse you about justice."
Corrine Aldous of cheap car insurance firm duck2water Car Insurance Services commented: "With a history of speeding and driving whilst disqualified, Cllr Newman is going to really struggle to win votes and find a reasonable motor insurance quote."