Nottinghamshire police chief caught speeding five times in four months and faces calls to resign

Nottinghamshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry has pleaded guilty to five speeding offences in the space of four months.
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And a Labour Bulwell councillor on Nottingham City Council has called for Mrs Henry to resign as a result.

Mrs Henry 51, was elected as a Conservative commissioner in May 2021 and is responsible for holding Nottinghamshire Police to account and overseeing its spending.

Her case appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on May 3 and involved five speeding offences from March to June 2021.

Nottinghamshire PCC Carolin Henry pleaded guilty to all five counts of speedingNottinghamshire PCC Carolin Henry pleaded guilty to all five counts of speeding
Nottinghamshire PCC Carolin Henry pleaded guilty to all five counts of speeding

The offences took place while she was still campaigning to be the new crime commissioner as well as after she was elected to the role.

The court was told an automatic camera recorded her travelling at 35mph in a 30mph zone in Chilwell, near Olympia Sports Centre, on March 1.

She also exceeded a 30mph speed limit a day after on March 18 on the A610 in Nuthall Road between Stockhill Lane and Bar Lane, this time recording 40mph.

She then exceeded a 30mph speed limit again on May 2, on the A6464 Woodside Road in Beeston, being clocked at 38mph.

She was clocked doing 38mph in a 30mph zone again on Oxclose Lane in Daybrook on May 27.

The final offence was on June 8, again on Oxclose Lane in Daybrook, where she drove at 35mph on the 30mph road.

Mrs Henry had already pleaded guilty to all five offences at a previous hearing.

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However, her lawyer, Noel Philo, argued sentencing should be dealt with by a district judge and that two of the incidents should be challenged under ‘special reasons’.

If special reasons are proved, it could prevent some of a potential 15 points being added to Mrs Henry’s licence.

A total of 12 or more penalty points on a driving licence can result in a ban from driving of a minimum of six months.

The court heard in a written statement Mrs Henry was ‘embarrassed and ashamed’ about the incidents.

Mrs Henry attended the court building but was not present during the hearing itself.

She will now be sentenced by a district judge at the same court on July 19.

In a statement following the hearing Mrs Henry said: “For technical legal reasons the court has constituted that they cannot deal with the case today.

“I cannot comment on the ongoing case, I will be explaining the context of this matter in due course.”

Outside court she declined to answer when asked by reporters if she had considered resigning from her position.”

However, Coun Samuel Gardiner (Lab), who represents Bulwell Forest on Nottingham City Council, said Mrs Henry should go.

He said: “Politics is being dragged through the mud by the Conservative Party.

"Nationally we have a Conservative Prime Minister that has admitted to breaking his own Covid laws and locally, we have a Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner that has admitted to speeding, not once or twice but a shocking five times”.

“Anyone who knows Oxclose Lane is probably familiar with it because of Oxclose Police Station.

"How much disregard was the commissioner paying if she sped close by one of her local police stations at 38mph?

"The vast majority of Nottingham gets it – speeding kills and its 30mph for a reason.

“The Conservatives have demonstrated time and time again that they don’t think the rules apply to them and that a mere apology will suffice.

"They (Mrs Henry and the Prime Minister) both just need to do the decent thing now and resign.”