Huhne points scandal: Judge Constance Briscoe QC is arrested, accused of lying to police

- Constance Briscoe held after allegedly lying about her involvement in leaking story- She was described in court today as no longer “a witness of truth”
Arrested: Constance Briscoe QC, friend of Vicky Pryce
Rebecca Reid
Paul Cheston26 February 2013
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A leading barrister and part-time judge has been arrested by police investigating the Chris Huhne speeding points scandal, a court heard today.

Constance Briscoe QC, a friend of Huhne’s ex-wife Vicky Pryce, allegedly lied about her involvement in leaking the story to the press.

She is said to have made statements to detectives claiming that she had not been in contact with the media which later turned out to be untrue, the court heard.

Ms Briscoe has sat as a Recorder or part-time judge on criminal trials but was described in court today as no longer “a witness of truth”.

Two newspapers broke the story in 2011 that former Cabinet minister Huhne had escaped a driving ban by claiming that he had not been driving when his car was caught by a speed camera on the M11 in 2003. He has pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice and is now facing jail.

His former wife Pryce, 60, has denied a similar charge and claims that Huhne had coerced her into falsely admitting she was the driver and taking the three points for him.

Last week a jury failed to reach a verdict in Pryce’s trial and a retrial started at Southwark crown court yesterday. Today the court heard that Pryce, helped by Ms Briscoe, told journalists about the story to get revenge on Huhne after he left his wife for PR adviser Carina Trimingham in June 2010.

Prosecutor Andrew Edis today read jurors a statement from detective inspector Martin Passmore explaining why certain people had not been called as witnesses in the case.

“Ms Briscoe has provided statements to the police in this case but during the investigation it became apparent that she may have lied about her involvement with the press and that she denied having any contact with the Mail on Sunday or any other media organisation in relation to this story,” his statement said.

“Ms Pryce has not been arrested or interviewed in relation to that allegation. For this reason Ms Briscoe has been arrested and is currently under investigation by the police.

Ms Briscoe could therefore no longer be relied upon as a witness of truth and on October 2, 2012 the Crown Prosecution Service took the decision not to call Ms Briscoe to give evidence in the case.”

Prosecutor Mr Edis has told the court that Ms Briscoe had “cooked up a plan” with Pryce, her friend and neighbour. “She was a neighbour of Vicky Pryce in those days and I think she had also had a difficulty in her marriage and they appear to have got closer to each other,” he said. “The two of them appear to have cooked up a plan to go and see the press about Huhne and taking points.”

They approached freelance journalist Andrew Alderson, who took the story to the Mail on Sunday, the court heard. Mr Edis said Pryce and Ms Briscoe told the journalist that Huhne had passed speeding points to Jo White, a Liberal Democrat aide in his constituency of Eastleigh.

“The story they were giving the papers was that Jo White took points for Huhne when he had nine points,” he said. “Well, of course, that was a complete lie because the person who took points for Huhne when he had nine points was her (Pryce).”

The jury was told about emails between Ms Briscoe and Alderson, and Mail on Sunday news editor David Dillon. One email from Ms Briscoe to Dillon on November 30, 2010 explained that the “relevant person” had been “bullied and pressurised” into taking Huhne’s points. It said: “Finally, you will appreciate that I have no particular interest in this story save that I have been asked to act as an intermediary on behalf of the relevant person.”

Sunday Times political editor Isabel Oakeshott — who published the story in May 2011 after Pryce confessed to her in March that year — yesterday told the court that although she knew the Mail on Sunday was aware of the story, Pryce had not told her that Ms Briscoe was acting as an intermediary for her with the rival paper. She said she was not aware the barrister had any dealings with the Mail on Sunday, but knew she was a close friend of Pryce.

In his statement, Mr Passmore said neither Alderson nor Dillon would be called as witnesses in Pryce’s trial.

The case continues.

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