London mayor’s car tax conviction withdrawn after 24-year-old Nissan Micra linked to him by mistake

A car tax conviction against the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has been officially withdrawn after it became clear that he was targeted by a scam that resulted in him being fined for failing to tax a vehicle that he never owned. The case, which centered on a 24-year-old Nissan Micra, was formally reopened at a magistrates’ court hearing at the Hereford justice centre. 

As reported by The Guardian, during the brief, one-minute proceeding, the panel of magistrates opted to mark the matter as withdrawn following an explicit request from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. Sadiq Khan was found guilty last month under what observers have frequently described as a system of conveyor-belt justice. In this specific legal process, magistrates are tasked with deciding on hundreds of cases every single day, and they sometimes spend less than a minute on each individual file. 

As a result of that initial, flawed decision, the mayor was ordered to pay a £220 fine, £85 in legal costs, and to settle the £35.84 bill for the unpaid tax on the Nissan Micra. City Hall officials have since confirmed that the 24-year-old vehicle did not belong to Khan, nor was it associated with Transport for London in any capacity. 

He became a target of a scam

During the hearing, neither the mayor nor a representative from the DVLA were reportedly present in the courtroom. A legal adviser addressed the panel of magistrates, noting that they might be aware of the case since it was widely publicised. The adviser then stated, “The DVLA have requested that the original matter, if you consider it to be reopened, be marked withdrawn.”

The chair of the bench, Mrs Digings JP, reportedly responded to the request by confirming the court’s stance. She said, “We accept the reopening of the case as requested. Further to the request from the DVLA, we are going to mark the matter as withdrawn.” This effectively closes the chapter on a conviction that should never have happened in the first place. 

The context behind this incident points to a growing trend of frustration among certain groups of motorists. The mayor has been the focus of protests in the past by individuals who are reportedly angry at the expansion of the ultra-low emission zone in London.

In response to these policies, some people have reportedly openly discussed plans to register cars in the name of the mayor to make him liable for the £12.50 daily charge. This specific incident appears to be an extension of those efforts to target him through administrative means.

Following the initial emergence of the conviction, a spokesperson for Khan spoke out to clarify the situation. They stated that the mayor had been the target of a scam, “which is a crime”. The spokesperson further elaborated on the recurring nature of these incidents, noting, “It’s not the first time the mayor has been the victim of a scam involving people falsely stating that Sadiq is the owner of a vehicle. Such behaviour is illegal, and the DVLA are aware.”