Nottinghamshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry has been banned from driving for six months, handed a fine totalling £2,450 and 15 penalty points on her driving licence. The 52-year-old, appearing before Nottingham Magistrates' Court this morning (Monday, July 18), teared up at times as her lawyer pleaded exceptional hardship so Henry could keep her licence.
But District Judge Leo Pyle disagreed and slapped the six-month ban on her case after she previously pleaded guilty to five speeding offences in the space of just four months. Mrs Henry, 52, of Orchil Street, Giltbrook, was elected as a Conservative commissioner in May 2021 and is responsible for holding Nottinghamshire Police to account and overseeing its spending.
The court heard more about Henry's children and how they rely heavily on her. She has to travel to Beeston and Salisbury for them and the court was told why these trips could not be done by public transport.
READ MORE: Updates as Nottinghamshire crime commissioner Caroline Henry sgiven driving ban for speeding
Outside court, she made a brief statement as one reporter asked, "are you not going to resign?" and another said, "Are you getting the bus home?". Henry, who did not respond to those questions, said: "I am truly sorry for speeding. Quite properly I have been fined and banned from driving for six months. I remain committed to serving the people of Nottinghamshire as Police and Crime Commissioner. Thank you for listening to me on this hot day".
Her case involves five speeding offences from March to June 2021, while she was still campaigning to be the new crime commissioner as well as after she was elected to the role.
The court previously heard an automatic camera recorded her travelling at 35mph in a 30mph zone in Chilwell, near Olympia Sports Centre, on March 17, 2021, at 2.56pm. She also exceeded a 30mph speed limit a day after on March 18, 2021, at 10.33am, on the A610 in Nuthall Road between Stockhill Lane and Bar Lane. The speed was recorded at 40mph.
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