Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan has been convicted and fined in a fast-track court system for not taxing a 24-year-old Nissan Micra. A magistrate found the 55-year-old Labour politician guilty last month of keeping an unlicensed vehicle, following a criminal prosecution by the DVLA.
Court documents indicate that DVLA letters regarding the unpaid tax bill were sent to Gordon Ramsay's east London restaurant, rather than nearby Transport for London (TfL) offices. City Hall officials have stated that the car does not belong to the mayor or TfL.
The magistrate, sitting in a private hearing of the Single Justice Procedure in Herefordshire, convicted Khan in his absence. He was ordered to pay a £220 fine, £85 in costs, and settle a £35.84 bill for unpaid tax on the Micra. The court also sent a record of conviction to the restaurant, ordering payment of the £340.84 court bill within 28 days.
The DVLA said the vehicle was spotted untaxed on 24 January, and official records held by the government showed Khan's name and date of birth against the car. The agency is reviewing the case and investigating the circumstances of the prosecution.