Ann Barnes won't face prosecution for alleged insurance offence in Dartford last year

multimediadesk@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 17:00, 24 February 2015 | Updated: 11:21, 09 April 2018

Kent's police chief will not be prosecuted for an alleged insurance offence - despite the police watchdog finding she 'may' have committed the crime.

An investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission found that she might also have driven without the right insurance on a number of occasions leading up to a crash in Dartford on September 16 last year.

But a statement released today by the CPS said it considers it would "not be in the best interest to prosecute" Ann Barnes.

It comes after a crash involving the Police and Crime Commissioner in September last year, when she was on a trip between shops and a meeting.

The IPCC investigated, and forwarded a file of evidence to the CPS prosecutors on February 17, which looked into an allegation of driving without insurance.

The CPS statement said: "We were only asked to consider one occasion of driving the car in question and were not provided with sufficient evidence that Ann Barnes drove the relevant vehicle on any other relevant occasion, which would be fundamental to considering the matter in terms of alleged criminality.

"Should the IPCC wish to investigate these allegations further, that is a matter for them as investigators.

Related stories

No replacement for youth commissioner

Ann Barnes gives Ann Force 1 to charity

"We will of course accept formal referrals when the IPCC consider a full file of evidence can be submitted in the normal way.

A spokesman said: "Although some further investigation might assist in determining whether there would be sufficient evidence to prosecute this matter, we are not advising that any further enquiries take place as in any event we consider that it would not be in the public interest to prosecute.

"The alleged breach of insurance conditions is technical in nature and focuses on whether the purpose of the trip could be defined as business or personal and we consider that to be far from clear.

"The alleged breach of insurance conditions is technical in nature and focuses on whether the purpose of the trip could be defined as business or personal" - CPS statement

"In this case the insurance company did not consider that the conditions of the insurance policy were breached so as to make any claim invalid, and has indicated it will pay the claim (although in fact the other party was deemed to be liable).

"It follows that we have advised there should be no prosecution."

But an IPCC spokesman said, taking into account the evidence, and Ann Barnes' account during her criminal interview, it was of the view "that the PCC may have committed the offence of driving without insurance when she was involved in a road traffic collision on 16 September 2014, and on a number of occasions in the six months before.

"On that basis, a referral was made to the Crown Prosecution Service on 17 February 2015.

"The referral to the CPS did not include an allegation that Mrs Barnes obstructed a police officer in the execution of their duty when initial enquiries into the PCC's insurance cover were being made by Kent Police.

"The IPCC investigated that allegation but decided there was insufficient evidence to pursue it."

Mrs Barnes responded to the news with a statement issued today.

She said her car had been written off as a result of the crash, and she had been told by emergency services she was lucky to walk away from the accident.

Kent police and crime commissioner Ann Barnes when she appeared in a TV documentary. Picture: Channel 4/Richard Ansett

She added: "I have always maintained that so far as I was concerned, when my car was struck I was appropriately insured. The insurance company has paid on the claim.

"The IPCC saw fit to commence an investigation, which lasted many months and resulted in a referral to the Crown Prosecution Service.