FORMER BRITISH CABINET Minister Chris Huhne and his ex-wife have been jailed for eight months for perverting the course of justice after she took penalty points he had been given for speeding ten years ago.
Former energy secretary Huhne admitted to the offence at a court hearing in London last month and following the trial of his ex-wife, Vicky Pryce, for the same offence the pair were sentenced today to eight months in prison.
The pair would have escaped justice had Greek-born Pryce not publicly told of the offence after eight years as part of a quest for vengeance when Huhne left her for his public relations advisor Carina Trimingham, ending their 26 year marriage.
The case concerns an offence which took place in 2003 when Huhne persuaded his then wife to take speeding penalty points in order for him to avoid prosecution. His car had been caught by a speed camera as he travelled between Stansted Airport and London city centre.
It was alleged that between March and May 2003 Pryce had falsely informed police she had been the driver of the car in order for Huhne to avoid prosecution.
Pryce unsuccessfully claimed marital coercion during her trial but she was convicted last week.
The pair arrived separately at Southwark Crown Court in London today but were side-by-side in the dock for sentencing.
During sentencing at Southwark Crown Court in London, judge Nigel Sweeney said the pair had “stellar” careers at the time of the offence and “no doubt you thought you’d get away with it”.
“You have both been brought to justice for your joint offence,” he told the pair. “Any element of tragedy is entirely your own fault.”
The judge told Huhne he had “fallen from a great height”. The former minister was at one point close to being the leader of the Liberal Democrats party before he was beaten by current leader and deputy prime minister Nick Clegg.
He resigned his ministerial office in February 2012 before resigning his Eastleigh seat in the House of Commons a year later. He had originally vowed to fight the charges, strenuously denying them, before admitting his guilt last month.
Pryce, the former joint head of the UK’s Government Economic Service as well as an advisor in the Department of Business, had an “an implacable desire for revenge”, Judge Sweeney said, describing her as having a “controlling, manipulative and devious side”.
- additional reporting from AFP
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