British Lord Gets 12 Weeks for Text-Messaging Behind the Wheel
A member of the British House of Lords has been given a 12-week jail term for dangerous driving after sending text-messages while behind the wheel.
Although a solicitor for Lord Nazir Ahmed, 51, says he will appeal the sentence, the peer was sent straight to jail today after a judge described his crime as “prolonged, deliberate, repeated and highly dangerous,” reports the Guardian. Ahmed’s conviction will not prevent him from continuing to serve in parliament after he completes his sentence.
The messages he sent came to light because he was involved in a fatal accident minutes later, the London Times reported. Authorities checked into his cell phone use as part of their accident investigation.
However, the texting wasn’t causally related to the crash, which occurred after another driver crashed and his unlighted, stationary car blocked the roadway. Two other drivers narrowly missed the stationary car before Ahmed’s vehicle struck it.
Additional coverage:
Telegraph: “Lord Ahmed admits sending text message while driving just before fatal crash”
BBC: “Profile: Lord Nazir Ahmed “
