Chris Huhne, the former Lib Dem energy secretary, has quit politics and is facing a possible jail sentence after he pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice.
Huhne asked his ex-wife, Vicky Pryce to take speeding points for him in 2003, reports The Telegraph. He denied the charges until Sunday afternoon, when he emailed prosecution to tell them he would change his plea to guilty. He had previously tried to get the case against him thrown out in a series of pre-trial hearings. The judge lifted a reporting restriction which had banned any publication of the legal arguments put forward by Huhne.
Mr Justice Sweeney told Huhne he should “have no illusions whatsoever” about the type of sentence he is likely to receive. The maximum penalty for the offence is life imprisonment.
Huhne said: “I have pleaded guilty today, I am unable to say more while there is an outstanding trial but having taken responsibility for something which happened 10 years ago the only proper course of action is now to resign my seat in Parliament, which I will do very shortly.”
Pryce, 60, who is also charged with perverting the course of justice, continues to deny the offence and will be tried on her own in a hearing tomorrow.
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