Onasanya Trial Update (2)

We're now two days into the defence of Fiona Onasanya, the Labour MP accused of perverting the course of justice by falsely claiming that someone else was driving her vehicle at the time it was clocked speeding at 41 mph in a 30 mph zone.

There is a bit more background information in our earlier posts (see here and here) on this most interesting of cases. As with our previous Trial Update post, we shall keep the details very matter of fact, as reported by the national media. It is not appropriate to offer any opinion with the trial still in progress, but we shall do once the verdict is in.

The defence has offered the following evidence:

• Onasanya, having just been elected a week or so earlier, was under considerable strain as she settled in to her new role. She compared election to Parliament to being a swimmer dropped in the middle of the ocean - even if they swim very well, the task is still overwhelming. She told the court that she had been inundated with thousands of emails and really didn't know where to begin.
• The MP claims that when she received the Notice of Intended Prosecution, nine days after the speeding incident, she passed it to her brother Festus to deal with. Despite being the registered keeper of the vehicle, she really didn't think she was the person behind the wheel at the time it was caught speeding. She was of the mistaken belief that she was still at Westminster that day.
• Onasanya says that she left the paperwork at her mother's house for Festus to take care of. She told the court that she in no way intended Festus to act dishonestly.
• According to Onasanya, Festus completed incorrect details on the form and signed it in her name.
• Onasanya has said, even with the benefit of hindsight and having checked her diary/calendar, she cannot recall visiting the property of Dr Christian DeFeo on the evening that her silver Nissan Micra triggered the speed camera nearby. She claims that she had an engagement in Peterborough that day.
• She has told the court that she had a disagreement with Dr DeFeo's wife about a charity event that was being organised.
• Asked if taking 3 penalty points would have had any adverse impact of her position as an MP, Onasanya said "absolutely not".

Under cross-examination by the Crown:

• Onasanya has confirmed that she cannot be sure who was driving the Micra at the time it triggered the speed camera. She often left the car parked outside her mother's house and her brother, mother, distant relatives and friends all had access to the keys and permission to drive when she was at Westminster. She conceded that she could have also been behind the wheel, but didn't think that was the case.
• Asked why she gave a "no comment" interview to police, she said: "I was bamboozled with lots of questions. They said I had six months before any further action and they would be in touch."
• Onasanya admitted that she had not asked either her brother or mother if they had been driving the vehicle when it was clocked speeding.

The trial continues. A verdict is expected by the end of this week.

Update (3.30 pm): The trial is progressing at a very brisk pace today. Both prosecution and defence have completed their closing speeches and the judge, HHJ Nicholas Hilliard QC, is currently summing up. It is entirely likely that the jury will retire to consider its verdict within the next hour or so. It is entirely possible that verdict will be returned either this evening or tomorrow morning.

Update (4.30 pm): The judge, HHJ Nicholas Hilliard QC, has concluded his summing up and adjourned until 10 am tomorrow, when the jury will begin its deliberations. Most commentators are still expecting a fairly quick verdict.