Peterborough Labour MP Fiona Onasanya faces retrial on charge of perverting the course of justice as jury fail to reach a verdict

Peterborough MP Fiona Onasanya will face a retrial on the charge of perverting the course of justice after the jury failed to reach a verdict at the Old Bailey.
Fiona Onasanya MP arriving at courtFiona Onasanya MP arriving at court
Fiona Onasanya MP arriving at court

The Labour MP had been standing trial accused of scheming with her brother Festus Onasanya of lying about who was driving Ms Onasanya’s car when it was clocked travelling at 41mph in a 30mph zone in Thorney in July last year.

A Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) had named a Russian man as the driver - but The Old Bailey heard he had been in Russia at the time.

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The jury - which has 11 members after one juror was discharged for health reasons last week - retired to consider their verdict on Thursday morning after hearing Judge Nichols Hilliard, The Recorder Of London finish his summing up.

Fiona Onasanya MP arriving at courtFiona Onasanya MP arriving at court
Fiona Onasanya MP arriving at court

On Friday afternoon, he said he would accept a verdict on which 10 jurors were agreed.

After two-and-a-half hours of deliberations on Monday, the jury indicated they could not agree a verdict, even if they had more time.

Discharging the jury, Mr Hilliard QC said: “I have had a note from you saying you do not need any more time.

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“Thank you very much for the evident care and attention you have given this case. The case will have to be retried in due course in front of a different jury.”

Ms Onasanya strenuously denied the charge, and had told the court she did not know who had been driving the Nissan Micra at the time, as friends and family often used it. She said she had left the NIP at her mother’s house for the driver to fill in.