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A government security minister has been banned from the roads for six months after pleading guilty to using his phone while driving.<\/p>\n
Tom Tugendhat, the Conservative MP for Tonbridge and Malling, was caught by police with his phone in his hand driving through central London in April.<\/p>\n
Mr Tugendhadt, a security minister in the Home Office, denied he was using the device but pleaded guilty in a letter to Bromley Magistrates\u2019 court earlier this month.<\/p>\n
Mr Tugendhat, of Tregarvon Road, Clapham, appeared for a sentencing hearing at Westminster Magistrates\u2019 Court on Thursday wearing a blue tie and a navy suit.<\/p>\n
Judge Jack McGarva said that using a mobile phone is a distraction.<\/p>\n
“Using a mobile phone in any way is a distraction,” he said. “Without any doubt it impairs people\u2019s ability to drive. “I would expect you to set a good example for the rest of us.”<\/p>\n
Tugendhat ran for the Tory leadership when Boris Johnson stood down earlier this year <\/p>\n
(PA Wire)<\/p>\n
The 49-year-old MP, who stood for the Tory leadership after Boris Johnson stepped down, was stopped by officers in his Skoda 4\u00d74 in Wandsworth on 4 April.<\/p>\n
In a statement, Pc Joseph Robson said he spotted the MP\u2019s car shortly before 2.45pm in Wandsworth High Street.<\/p>\n
\u201cI noticed the driver of this vehicle was using a handheld mobile device whilst driving,\u201d he said. \u201cThe device was being held in their left hand to the front, in front of themselves.<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw this from around three metres, in good daylight with no obstructions, I saw this for around 20 seconds.\u201d<\/p>\n
The officer added: \u201cThe driver did appear to be having a conversation. The driver did not appear to be operating the device.<\/p>\n
\u201cI stopped the vehicle and spoke with the driver. I confirmed they weren\u2019t making emergency contact to the 999 service. I pointed out the offence where they confirmed the communication was using maps.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Metropolitan Police sent Mr Tugendhat a conditional offer of a fixed penalty notice in April and he agreed to pay it and surrender his driving licence, according to court papers.<\/p>\n
But the offence was sent to court for prosecution because Mr Tugendhat already had six penalty points on his licence.<\/p>\n
Using a mobile phone while driving can attract six penalty points and a disqualification can be imposed if a driver tots up 12 points within three years.<\/p>\n
A ban can be avoided if the defendant can show \u201cexceptional hardship\u201d would be caused by the loss of their licence.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for Mr Tugendhat previously said the minister \u201capologised unreservedly\u201d for the offence and would respect the outcome of the case.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emails A government security minister has been banned from the roads for six months after pleading guilty to using his phone while driving. Tom Tugendhat, the Conservative MP for Tonbridge […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1402,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1401","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n