Daily Weird News Report
Sadiq Khan was fined after being prosecuted over an untaxed Nissan Micra that, according to his office, never belonged to him or Transport for London.
The London mayor was convicted in his absence last month through the single justice procedure, a system in which magistrates can decide certain low-level criminal cases in private and without the defendant present. A magistrate ordered Khan to pay a £220 fine, £85 in costs and £35.84 in unpaid vehicle tax.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency brought the case after the 24-year-old car was identified as untaxed on 24 January. Court records indicate that its annual tax had expired the previous September. The vehicle was first registered in 2002.
Khan’s office says someone falsely associated the car with him and called the incident a scam. It said the mayor had previously been targeted by people wrongly claiming he owned a vehicle. The office also said the DVLA had applied to reopen the case and withdraw the prosecution.
The case came to wider attention after PA Media alerted the DVLA to the conviction. The agency confirmed that it was reviewing the matter and investigating how the prosecution arose. The Guardian reported that court letters addressed to Khan were sent to a Gordon Ramsay restaurant in east London rather than to nearby TfL offices.
Khan has been a target of protests by motorists opposed to the expansion of London’s ultra-low emission zone. Some protesters had said they intended to register vehicles in his name in an effort to make him responsible for the zone’s £12.50 daily charge.
If the conviction is not withdrawn administratively, Khan may have to appear in court to challenge it. The DVLA was reported to be investigating the false registration.
The single justice procedure, introduced in 2015 as a cheaper way to process minor criminal cases, has faced wider criticism. Its use came under scrutiny after tens of thousands of train-fare evasion convictions were overturned in 2024, while other cases involving children and pensioners also prompted concerns about the process.
