Police boss in speeding war broke 30mph limit five times

A POLICE boss who pledged to tackle speeding was caught breaking a 30mph limit five times in less than three months, magistrates heard yesterday.

Caroline Henry’s offences included two committed on consecutive days.

The 52-year-old police and crime commissioner for Nottinghamshire pleaded guilty at a previous hearing in February – the same month she launched a plan to tackle ‘neighbourhood priorities’ including speeding.

Magistrates were told Henry, the wife of Broxtowe MP Darren Henry, had written a letter to the court saying she was ‘very sorry, embarrassed and ashamed’. But defence solicitor Noel Philo said it was written on ‘advice I did not give’.

Henry, pictured, was caught speeding in a blue Mercedes and a silver Lexus with a personalised number plate in 30mph zones at four locations in Nottingham in March, May and June last year.

She did not appear in the courtroom during an administrative hearing – held almost a year to the day after she was elected to serve her home county.

Court documents show that Henry was caught speeding twice near a primary school in Daybrook, Nottingham, as well as on roads in Chilwell, Beeston and the city’s A610. Speed cameras clocked the PCC driving at 40mph in a 30mph zone on one occasion, with other instances recorded at 35mph and 38mph. The offences took place on March 17 and 18, May 2 and 27, and June 8 last year. On her PCC website, Henry listed ensuring an ‘effective and efficient’ police response to speeding as one of her priorities. The mother of twins campaigned for election with the slogan ‘make Notts safe’ and used it to launch her first police and crime plan in February. At the time she said she was ‘committed to prioritising the issues we know are causing the greatest harm and concern to our communities’. Henry said these included ‘serious violence, domestic and sexual abuse, substance abuse and neighbourhood priorities such as anti-social behaviour, speeding and rural crime’. Her case at Nottingham Magistrates Court yesterday was adjourned until July 19 where she is expected to argue two of the five offences were due to ‘emergencies’ – one being when she was ‘very concerned for one of her children’. She did not respond when asked whether she would resign from her three-year term. Mr Henry did not attend court yesterday.