RE: Clarkson Beats Speeding Fine
Friday 7th September 2007
The £10,000 per day solicitor Nick Freeman managed to get the charges against Clarkson dropped after he was caught doing 82mph in a 50 zone. He was driving an Alfa Romeo Brera, on loan to him from the company, on the A40 in Ruislip.
Clarkson Beats Speeding Fine
Using the lawyer known as Mr Loophole, Clarkson goes free
Alfa sent Clarkson the penalty notice when it arrived last year, but he declined to name the driver and so proceedings were delayed. When it finally came before the Magistrates Court, he employed the services of 'Mr Loophole', the man who has previously acquitted David Beckham, Alex Ferguson and Colin Montgomerie. He exploits police oversights and points to flaws in the legal handling of the charge, which usually results in the case collapsing.
Clarkson did not appear in court, and the prosecution withdrew its case before the hearing had even started.
Discussion
It's the same law for all, it's the ability to pay for decent interpreters that is the issue.
The fact that you need £10k to be represented by someone who can find the problems with the prosecutions case shows just how specialised and complex the law is in this area.
So, while the law is overly complex there will always be a loophole, as it seems that the police don't do their job to the precision required for the prosecution.
Dave
The fact that you need £10k to be represented by someone who can find the problems with the prosecutions case shows just how specialised and complex the law is in this area.
So, while the law is overly complex there will always be a loophole, as it seems that the police don't do their job to the precision required for the prosecution.
Dave
Edited by Mr Whippy on Friday 7th September 11:29
A1GOY said:
£10k to avoid £60 and some points? Wow...
But why should you accept them if you are not guilty?It's sad when you have to pay £10k to show how shit the CPS's case was in the first place. In a way I am discusted that our country wastes so much money on a CPS that can't prosecute effectively to save it's life. What good are they when they can't even do their job properly?
Dave
A1GOY said:
£10k to avoid £60 and some points? Wow...
82 in a 50 may have meant rather more, and if he's close to the magic 12, it could have affected his ability to do his (very lucrative) job - so maybe 10k well spent...still don't know how he managed it in a Brera though!
Edited by TTwiggy on Friday 7th September 11:37
Jasandjules said:
chrisbr68 said:
That stretch of road is the same as a motorway anyway. I dont know why they changed it from NSL to 50 anyway!
I suspect the fact that a Speed Camera was used on it is a bit of a clue.Good on you Clarkson, I will do exactly the same in your situation too.
Mr. Loophole - 29 CPS - 0
Edited by E39M52003 on Friday 7th September 11:47
Doesn't/didn't Clarkson have a clean license? I presume that's probably because he seems to register most of his cars in the Isle of Mann, anything else he probably passes onto his wife.
But it's a fair point, I imagine if the alfa was on loan for a day of filming Clarkson probably wouldn't have been the only one to drive it...
But it's a fair point, I imagine if the alfa was on loan for a day of filming Clarkson probably wouldn't have been the only one to drive it...
Accelebrate said:
Doesn't/didn't Clarkson have a clean license? I presume that's probably because he seems to register most of his cars in the Isle of Mann, anything else he probably passes onto his wife.
But it's a fair point, I imagine if the alfa was on loan for a day of filming Clarkson probably wouldn't have been the only one to drive it...
I also read somewhere -maybe JC's own PR blurb- that he did indeed have a clean licence.But it's a fair point, I imagine if the alfa was on loan for a day of filming Clarkson probably wouldn't have been the only one to drive it...
As far as getting points/fine "if you're not guilty" I'd pretty much guess that the case was dropped "on a technicality" rather than whether actual speed recorded was accurate or false ! Technicality probably rendered the "proof" as unacceptable etc.
p.s. IF accurate 82 in a 50 is a bit strong IMO.
Edited by sprinter885 on Friday 7th September 12:05
Surely if Alfa loaned the car to JC then it can only be him driving it? If I rent a car and it gets flashed, surely I will be held responsible? "Oh it wasn't me driving it" - "but we rented the car to YOU - who the hell else was driving, you were the only person entitled to drive it...." I guess that the difference between the recent spate of people pretending to be their son/brother etc to protect the guilty comes down to who the vehicle is registered to? If the car is still registered to Alfa and they just "lent" the car to JC then I suppose that there isn't a case to answer?
Mr Clarkson and his lawyers might not take too kindly to the assumption in the article that he was actually driving at the time... 
I believe, from reading other write-ups of this story, that Jezzas's argument was that it was Alfa's responsibilty to name the driver not him, and the charge should have been aimed at them rather than trying to make an example out of a celebrity target.
I believe, from reading other write-ups of this story, that Jezzas's argument was that it was Alfa's responsibilty to name the driver not him, and the charge should have been aimed at them rather than trying to make an example out of a celebrity target.
sprinter885 said:
p.s. IF accurate 82 in a 50 is a bit strong IMO.
Totally depends on the conditions. There is a road on my way to work that was a national last year, and leaving work late I could hit 80mph comfortably along the 3/4 mile section, but today the entire two mile stretch is a 40 zone.Then there is another 30mph zone where I could easily reach 80mph happily when the conditions are appropriate.
Speed limits mean nothing wrt to appropriate speed, that can only be determined there and then imho!
Dave
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