Jemima Goldsmith fined £1,000 over speeding case after missing police deadline

LONDON: British TV producer and journalist Jemima Goldsmith has been convicted and fined £1,000 after failing to respond in time to the Metropolitan Police over a speeding offence involving a car registered in her name.

The 52-year-old, former wife of PTI founder Imran Khan, did not initially respond to police letters after a Mini Clubman vehicle registered to her was caught exceeding the speed limit in north London.

Goldsmith later identified the driver of the vehicle, but her response was submitted after the official deadline, resulting in court proceedings.

In a note to Westminster Magistrates’ Court, she attributed the delay to major renovation work at her £10 million Kensington home.

“Due to ongoing construction works at the property where my car is registered, which made access tricky, the original letter was mislaid by builders and I was unaware of its existence until October,” she wrote.

“As soon as it was received, I completed and returned the form immediately,” she added.

Court documents show Goldsmith named Anthony Reilly, a resident of Switzerland, as the person driving the Mini when it was recorded travelling at 46mph in a 40mph zone on the A1 in Hampstead on August 28 last year.

However, her reply was dated November 4 — six days after the final police deadline and two months after the first notification was issued.

In her letter, Goldsmith also cited the death of her mother, Lady Annabel Goldsmith, in October last year at the age of 91.

“My PA, who collects the post, had been on annual leave in October and my mother died on the 18th that month, so I was less on top of things than I am normally. I am very sorry for the delay and inconvenience caused. I fully accept that a fine is due,” she stated.

Jemima Goldsmith was convicted by magistrate Gladys Famoriyo of failing to provide information relating to the identification of the driver when required.

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The court imposed a £1,000 fine, six penalty points on her driving licence, £130 in costs and a £400 victim surcharge.

Known professionally as Jemima Khan, she is the founder of a television production company and has worked as a screenwriter and magazine editor. She married Imran Khan in 1995 and the couple have two children.

Records filed with Kensington and Chelsea Council show she received approval last year for extensive renovation work at her home, including demolition and reconstruction of part of the property.

The case was handled under the Single Justice Procedure, a fast-track court process that allows magistrates to decide convictions and sentences without defendants appearing in open court.

Goldsmith was among 1,905 defendants convicted last week for failing to identify a driver when requested by police, with more than 330 of them losing their licences as a result.