Grieving widow prosecuted over unpaid £35 bill on dead husband’s car

The magistrate opted to convict the woman and pass sentence rather than refer the case back to the DVLA to check if the prosecution remained in the public interest - (PA)

A grieving widow has been convicted over an unpaid £35 car tax bill on her deceased husband’s vehicle, a "slip-up" that occurred just weeks after his passing. The 51-year-old woman was pursued by the DVLA after failing to pay the £35.84 vehicle tax for her late husband’s Jaguar, which came into her possession last July.

In her defence, she wrote a letter explaining that she does not drive, has never owned a car, and the oversight happened while she was in mourning and making funeral arrangements. However, her detailed account of the circumstances was not enough to prevent a criminal conviction. The case was brought through the controversial fast-track Single Justice Procedure (SJP) courts, leading to the ruling against her.