Tragically, shortly after sending and receiving the text messages, Lord Ahmed collided with a car that had crashed on the motorway because the driver had been drinking. The driver of the other vehicle was killed in the crash with Lord Ahmed’s car.
However, the judge made it clear that Lord Ahmed’s texting had no link to the fatal collision.
The judge did say that Lord Ahmed had to be imprisoned because of the ‘prolonged, deliberate, repeated and highly dangerous driving’, by which he meant sending and receiving text messages.
This case is an example of the serious implications of using a handheld mobile phone while driving. It shows that even those with no previous criminal convictions who have served the community are at risk of being sent to prison where it has caused them to drive dangerously.
If you have any questions arising from this article Jeremy Scott is a specialist motoring law solicitor at
www.roadtrafficlawdirect.com and can be contacted on 0808 160 5016.