Conservative MP Jamie Wallis Fined and Banned from Driving Over Dangerous Car Incident
Wallis Fined £2,500 and Banned for Six Months
Jamie Wallis, the Conservative MP for Bridgend, has been hit with a £2,500 fine and a six-month driving ban after being found guilty of leaving his car in a dangerous condition. However, he was cleared of the more serious charge of driving without due care and attention.
Judge Slams Wallis’ Credibility in Court
District Judge Tan Ikram was brutally honest about Wallis’ evidence. “I didn’t find the defendant credible,” she said. The judge criticised Wallis for trying to link his behaviour to PTSD. “His actions that night do not suggest he was overwhelmed and acting out of fear.”
Wallis Denies Charges, Cites PTSD and Recent Trauma
The MP, who came out as transgender earlier this year and uses he/him pronouns, denied all traffic offences. He told the court he had been raped a month before the crash and feared being “raped, killed, or kidnapped” after the incident. Wallis claimed he hit a lamppost trying to avoid a cat in Llanblethian, Vale of Glamorgan, in the early hours.
Judge Rejects PTSD as an Excuse
Judge Ikram ruled that PTSD is no defence for Wallis. She said he was fully capable of giving details about the accident and contacting his father afterwards. “He made bad decisions, but they were conscious choices, not acts of irrational fear,” the judge explained. Despite having the chance to call emergency services, Wallis chose not to, a decision the court said was deliberate, not overwhelmed or irrational.
