Legal News

Mathew Freud the PR guru, head of the international PR firm Freud Communications was caught by police racing home along the M5 in Devon and was banned from the roads for six months and fined almost £1,000 at Exeter Magistrates Court, for the exceptionally high speed.
Mr Freud was caught speeding on the motorway at 117mph in a Ferrari while his five year old son slept in the front seat.
Mr Freud, who is married to Rupert Murdoch's daughter Elisabeth, was speeding home from a business trip in Cornwall when he was pulled over by a police officer.
The court heard Freud, 48, of North West London, had borrowed the black Ferrari 458 Spider from a business associate and was not used to its power.
The car could attain speeds of 199mph and the JPs told Freud in the court that he was travelling at an exceptionally high speed especially with a small child in the car.
Prosecutor David Barnes told the court that a speed detection device recorded the speed at 117mph on the 70mph M5 at Sampford Peverell on July 31, 2012.
Freud’s motoring lawyer told the court that his client already had nine points on his licence in the last three years, two fixed penalties for speeding and for using a mobile phone while driving.
The motoring lawyer said that his client was driving back to his London home. He had been in Cornwall during the day for a business meeting. Since it was the school holidays his son was along with him. He was caring for his son as he went about his business.
The car was borrowed one and Freud was not used to the speed and when he put his foot on the accelerator he did not keep his eye on the speedometer.
The lawyer said that his client apologised for the offence and had accepted that the speed was grossly excessive.
Freud is married to businesswoman Elisabeth Murdoch, daughter of Rupert Murdoch.
The lawyer told the court four of Freud's six children attended school in three different counties and his wife works away a great deal and Freud does much of the driving for his family. He added that Freud was not a habitual speedster.
The court heard Freud would not suffer exceptional hardship by a ban and his means were ‘substantial’ to pay a fine. Freud admitted speeding and the magistrates put six points on his licence making a total of 15.
He was banned from driving for six months and ordered to pay a total of £905 in fines and costs. The court warned him not to drive before the end of his ban as by doing so he would be committing an ‘extremely serious offence’.