Caroline Henry's schedule has been revealed on the two days she was caught speeding while she was the acting Police and Crime Commissioner [PCC] for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. Mrs Henry was caught speeding five times in the space of a four month period last year, landing herself in Nottingham Magistrates' Court earlier this month.
Mrs Henry, 52, of Giltbrook was banned from driving for six months, handed a fine totalling £2,450, given 15 penalty points on her driving licence, an order to pay a victim surcharge of £190 and prosecution costs when she was sentenced at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on Monday (July 18).
A Freedom of Information Request has confirmed Mrs Henry's schedule on Thursday, May 27 and Tuesday, June 8 last year. On May 27, she attended the association of police and crime commissioners meeting, communications meeting and procurement meeting. On the same day in Oxclose Lane, near Burford Primary School in Daybrook, Mrs Henry was found to have been travelling at 38mph in a 30mph zone.
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Then, shortly afterwards on June 8, she was caught speeding again on the same stretch of road - this time travelling at 35mph. This occurred on the same day that she met Craig Guildford, Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire Police, held a staff meeting and breakfast meeting with the assistant PCC as well as an induction on serious organised crime.
Other speeding offences took place while Mrs Henry was campaigning for the position on March 17, March 18, May 2 and May 18 last year. In an interview with Nottinghamshire Live, Mrs Henry detailed her heartbreaking family struggles she was going through at the time of the offences - but admitting she "messed up".
She said: "Notwithstanding the trauma my family and I were going through at the time of these separate matters, I continued to work around the clock in my official capacity. This explains why one of the speeding offences was clocked at 9.30pm and I had worked until that time and had just left my office for my journey home.
"As commissioner, I am indeed proud that the Nottinghamshire Police system works so efficiently to catch those who speed even when I am the recipient of their good work. I support and respect the need for speed limits, and that is why, having been alerted to these breaches, I pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity."
She continued: "I did not speed deliberately. I was in deep pain and distracted. I assure all I have taken stock of my situation and this will not happen again.
"I have reflected on the harm that is caused by speeding drivers and I will be doing all I can - both personally and professionally - to help make Nottinghamshire roads safer."
She says she will not resign, despite many calls for her to step down after the ordeal, saying that she loves her job and that he is delivering for the people of Nottinghamshire.
As he sentenced her, District Judge Leo Pyle told Mrs Henry: "Speed limits are sited, to say this to punish the myth, not at places they can accrue maximum amounts in funds but for safety reasons." He reminded her she committed five offences of speeding. He said: "What they show is that you were driving at consistent speeds above the speed limit.
"What I haven't been told is, why? Whether it was to attend a work meeting or meet in your private time? Whether for work or private, you must allow time to get to your destination safely and comply with speed restrictions."
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