Sadiq Khan convicted over untaxed Nissan Micra he says he does not own

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, was convicted in his absence on 18 August for failing to tax a 2002 Nissan Micra. Magistrate Surinder Gidda at Herefordshire Magistrates’ Court ordered Khan to pay a £220 fine, £85 in costs and a £35.84 vehicle tax bill, totalling £340.84. The conviction was issued under the Single Justice Procedure, a fast-track system for low-level offences.

City Hall officials told MyLondon and the Evening Standard that the car does not belong to Khan or Transport for London. They suggested the conviction may be incorrect. The DVLA prosecuted Khan after the Micra was recorded as untaxed on 24 January. The agency said his name and date of birth appeared on official records as the vehicle’s keeper.

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Notices sent to wrong address

The DVLA sent letters about the unpaid tax to 9 Endeavour Square in Stratford, where Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen is located. Transport for London’s offices are at 5 Endeavour Square, a two-minute walk away. The court also sent the conviction notice to the restaurant. It warned Khan that failure to pay within 28 days could lead to increased fines, bailiffs or an arrest warrant.

Khan’s office has not confirmed whether he will challenge the conviction. Under the Single Justice Procedure, defendants can apply to reopen the case by appearing in court to make a statutory declaration. If the case is reopened, Khan could argue he was unaware of the prosecution because the notices were sent to the wrong address. The DVLA could also apply to reopen the case.

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Background to the prosecution

The Nissan Micra was first registered in 2002. Its tax expired in September 2023. The DVLA said a letter sent in January asking for confirmation of the owner’s identity went unanswered. The agency then launched a criminal prosecution. The Single Justice Procedure, introduced in 2015, allows magistrates to handle cases alone and in private. Critics call it “conveyor belt justice” because magistrates sometimes decide cases in under a minute.

The system faced scrutiny in 2024 after 59,000 train fare evasion convictions were overturned as unlawful. It also emerged that children had been wrongly convicted in the secretive courts. The procedure is currently under government review.

What happens next

Khan has until 15 September to pay the £340.84 fine or apply to reopen the case. If he chooses to challenge the conviction, he must appear in court to make a statutory declaration. The DVLA is reviewing the case after the Press Association flagged the conviction. It is unclear whether the agency will seek to withdraw the prosecution or allow the court to reconsider.