Jimmy Choo boss banned for driving without insurance
Hannah Colman, who was appointed boss of Jimmy Choo in 2020 and was one of its first employees, had been driving for nearly four months without insurance before she was stopped in her Audi Q7 S Line in Chelsea, London, in November.
The fashion chief, 46, who earns £250,000 a year, was stopped with her daughter in the car, which is estimated to cost more than £72,000, and was not allowed to continue her journey home to Clapham until the insurance was renewed.
Colman pleaded guilty to driving without insurance at Lavender Hill magistrates' court in Battersea and said she was 'absolutely mortified' when she discovered the error.
The court heard that Colman had renewed her insurance policy last July, a month ahead of schedule, but the payment had bounced, and she missed the reminder email in September. 'It was a genuine mistake and one I am really sorry about,' Colman told the court.
John Tyler, the chairman of the bench, said he did not accept that Colman did not receive emails warning her to renew the insurance and said almost four months was a long time to have no cover in place.
Before a ban was issued, Colman's lawyer asked the court to consider that Colman relied on the car to drive her two children, aged eight and 11, to school. 'I drive every day and I take my two children to school every morning, then I drive to work,' she said. 'I used my car at the weekend for activities with my kids and husband.'
Colman had six points on her licence when she was stopped by police, which means she can expect to lose her licence for at least six months. She was also ordered to pay a £660 fine, which has been reduced from the initial £1,000 due to her early guilty plea. The total, including legal fees, was £1,017.
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Tyler told the court that a 'small consolation' for Colman was that she would receive a clean licence with no points once she had completed the duration of her ban.
Colman's journey to the top of Jimmy Choo started when she began working for the designer's first boutique in Motcomb Street in London in 1996. Choo founded the fashion house with Tamara Mellon, who was also serving as Vogue's accessories editor. At the time, Colman was dating Mellon's younger brother Daniel, which led to her introduction to the company.
The fashion brand, which has 234 stores worldwide, cut through the public consciousness when Princess Diana wore a pair of Choo's pale blue slingbacks with a sparkly Catherine Walker dress for a performance of Swan Lake at the Royal Albert Hall in June 1997. Sandra Choi, the creative director, later admitted: 'It really started everything for us.'
Before Colman was appointed as chief executive, she served as the brand's senior vice-president for Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa, then as president for global ecommerce and customer relationship management.
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The Guardian
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- The Guardian
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Auto Express
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Daily Mail
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BREAKING NEWS Five best EVs to buy with Labour's new £3,750 Electric Car Grant
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Over its 11-year spell, the PiCG amount was gradually wound down; having originally offered to slash the price of any new EV or plug-in hybrid by £5,000 in 2011, by the time the scheme was closed in June 2022 only fully-electric cars below £32,000 were eligible, and the amount knocked off the RRP just £1,500. That said, the scheme proved incredibly successful. It provided more than £1.4billion to motorists to support purchases of nearly half a million electric and hybrid vehicles in that period, in which it was widely responsible for encouraging early adoption of electrified cars. The new ECG will hope to reignite electric car demand among private buyers with the same level of impact after months of stagnating sales. It will be supported by a £650million backing from the Government that will be available for the next three years. However, funding will remain under review, with the scheme subject to amendments or an 'early closure with no notice' should the pot of available money 'become exhausted', the DfT clarified. Only cars up to £37,000 qualify for the grant, which rules out premium models, including every Tesla on sale. The Government's hope is that by making the most financially attainable EVs even more affordable, it will make switching more appealing to private buyers rather than just those who lease more expensive EVs or acquire them as company cars or through salary sacrifice schemes. How does the Electric Car Grant work? Unlike the PiCG, buyers will not be allocated the grant amount at the point of purchase. Instead, manufacturers must apply to be eligible for the scheme with their sub-£37,000 cars on a 'first come, first served' basis. This means that motorists will not need to fill in any additional paperwork to receive the grant, with all administration handled by the car maker, dealership, and the Government. But because manufacturers must apply for the scheme, it may take weeks for discounted EVs to begin appearing in showrooms, experts warn, The new scheme will also differ from the PiCG in that it initially be a two-tier approach based on 'sustainability criteria', with only the greenest models - considered 'band one' - receiving the full £3,750 amount. Band two cars with a lower eco rating will be eligible for a reduced amount that's not yet clarified. Bands are determined by each maker's Science-Based Target (SBT) - an industry-wide scheme, with manufacturers needing to meet carbon scores below a specific criterion to achieve the highest green standard. The bands - which could later expand beyond two tiers - are determined by how much CO2 is emitted in an EV's production, assessing the energy used during assembly as well as battery production. Threshold levels have yet to be made public. According to early reports, British-built EVs were said to qualify for band one in support of UK car makers. However, the DfT has said this will not be the case and that 'all products are assessed under the same framework'. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander confirmed the ECG's availability on Monday night, saying: 'The EV grant will not only allow people to keep more of their hard-earned money - it'll help our automotive sector seize one of the biggest opportunities of the 21st century.' Car industry welcomes EV purchase incentive The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), which has been campaigning for new financial purchase incentives to be launched since the PiCG was closed three years ago, said the grant is a 'clear signal to consumers that now is the time to switch'. Mike Hawes, its chief executive, said: 'Rapid deployment and availability of this grant over the next few years will help provide the momentum that is essential to take the EV market from just one in four today, to four in five by the end of the decade. 'This announcement is a welcome response to consistent calls from the industry for more support, which will be in addition to the substantive subsidies already provided by manufacturers.' Simon Williams, head of road policy at the RAC, described the grant as 'just the shot-in-the arm needed to help more drivers go electric'. He added: 'Within weeks, discounted cars should start appearing at dealerships across the country. 'And, as the biggest savings will be given to cars with the strongest 'green' manufacturing credentials, drivers will be picking models that are not only better for their wallets, but better for the planet too.' Delvin Lane, CEO of charger provider Instavolt, said the grant will be a 'major contributor' to boosting demand for EVs. Five of the best EVs likely eligible for the grant While any battery electric car with an RRP of £37,000 or below will be eligible for the grant, we will have to wait for manufacturers to apply for the grant before finding out which vehicles qualify - and which band and subsidy amount they will be categorised. However, here is a list of five of the best EVs on sale currently that are available for less than £37,000 - and should become cheaper to buy within a matter of weeks. Below, we have listed them with the potential start price if they are to qualify as band one EVs eligible for the full £3,750 grant allowance. 1. Renault 5 E-Tech - from £19,245 Current price from: £22,995 Versions under £37k: all Range: up to 250 miles The Renault 5 E-Tech is a reborn version of the legendary 1980 model with battery power - and it has proved a huge success for the French manufacturer since it arrived in Britain earlier this year. With impressive driving characteristics, a premium feel to the cabin and a more than adequate range of between 190 to 250 miles, it is the worthy reigning winner of the illustrious European Car of the Year Award. While a starting price of £23,000 and even the top-spec Roland Garros version ringing in at less than £30,000, every version should be eligible for the grant. The 5 has been the best-selling EV in the UK retail sector in the months of April and May, so this is certainly one of the cars the grant is aimed at. 2. Nissan Leaf - from circa £26,250 Current price from: circa £30,000 Versions under £37k: TBC Range: up to 375 miles An all-new Nissan Leaf is due to hit showrooms this year with a starting price of around £30,000 - well within the boundaries of the Electric Car Grant eligibility criteria An all-new Nissan Leaf is due to hit showrooms this year. And, given it's the only mass-market EV produced in the UK [since assembly of the Mini EV moved to China] at the Sunderland plant in the Northeast, the Japanese brand will be hoping to meet the requirements to secure the full £3,750 'band one' grant allowance. Unlike the outgoing Leaf hatchback, the new model is very much a crossover with a jacked-up ride height and bulkier styling. Prices are yet to be confirmed, but bosses have hinted it will start from around £30,000. Even mid-to-top spec models are likely to sit below the grant's £37,000 threshold. Two battery options will be available from launch in 2025: a smaller - and cheaper - 52kWh unit offering up to 270 miles of range on a single charge and a larger 75kWh battery which ups the distance to 375 miles. 3. Citroen e-C3 - from £18,345 Current price from: £22,095 Versions under £37k: all Range: up to 199 miles There are plenty of compact EV options that should qualify for the ECG criteria, including the Dacia Spring (from £14,995) and Hyundai Inster (from £23,505). But our pick of the most attainably priced electric cars is Citroen's new e-C3, which start from £22,095. With a range of up to 199 miles, an existing starting price a little over £22,000, and enough room for five adults, this practical and comfortable electric supermini could become even more affordable if it qualifies for the full ECG amount. Even the entry-spec models get a 10.25-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, while higher trim levels - all of them falling well below the grant's £37,000 ceiling - have heated seats, a heated steering wheel and a reversing camera. 4. Kia EV3 - from £29,255 Current price from: £33,005 Versions under £37k: EV3 Air Range: up to 375 miles The entry 'Air' specification of the new Kia EV3 sits under the £37,000 ECG threshold with the choice of either the 58.3kWh or 81.4kWh battery. For an electric family car, it could become a tempting option with up to £3,750 off Kia's latest - and smallest - model, the new EV3, looks set to steal a march on rivals in the most competitive segment of all. With every brand on the planet seemingly offering a compact SUV, Kia's EV3 is our choice of the bunch with exclusively battery power. The entry 'Air' specification sits under the £37,000 ECG threshold with the choice of either the 58.3kWh or 81.4kWh battery. While the smaller battery model (starting from £33,005) offers a range up to 254 miles, the £36,005 Air with the Long Range 81.4kWh battery providing up to 375 miles on a single charge. 5 Skoda Elroq - from £27,760 Current price from: £31,510 Versions under £37k: Elroq SE, SE-L and Edition Range: up to 266 miles Skoda's new Elroq is one of the standout electric family cars with a RRP low enough to qualify for the new Electric Car Grant For family car buyers, Skoda's Elroq is another quality option. And with three models in its range likely to qualify for the ECG, a discount of up to £3,750 could make it compelling option. It's roomy, well-equipped and has that robust Volkswagen Group build quality. While not the most entertaining to drive, its arguably excellent value against comparable rivals. The entry Elroq SE with a 52kWh battery is the cheapest from £31,510, though this provides a maximum range of up to only 233 miles. However, the SE-L 60 and Edition 60 with the bigger 59kWh offer up to 266 miles and both sit below the grant's £37,000 cut-off for eligibility. Unfortunately, the larger 77kWh battery versions are all over the ECG's price threshold.
