Chris Huhne and his ex-wife Vicky Pryce will appear for trial today. Picture: Steve Parsons/PA Wire

Chris Huhne speeding points trial to start today

Monday, February 4, 2013
6:16 AM

The trial of former Liberal Democrat cabinet minister Chris Huhne and his ex-wife Vicky Pryce over claims she took speeding points for him a decade ago is set to start today.

The pair is both charged with perverting the course of justice relating to a speeding offence in 2003. They will appear at Southwark Crown Court this morning.

It is alleged that between March 12 2003 and May 21 2003, Pryce, of Crescent Grove, Clapham, south London, falsely informed police that she was the driver of the car so Huhne could avoid prosecution.

The events which led to the charges date back to March 2003 when Huhne’s car was allegedly caught by a speed camera on the motorway between Stansted Airport and London.

The allegations emerged in 2011 after Huhne’s 26-year-old marriage to Pryce had ended the previous year when he admitted an affair with PR adviser Carina Trimingham.

Huhne, from Dutton Lane, Eastleigh, Hants, remains the Lib Dem MP for Eastleigh and vowed to fight the charges.