Peer denies texting before crash

My Account
Logout

Create an Evening Standard Account

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Welcome! Sign in here

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Forgot your password ?

Registration

* indicates fields that are mandatory

Email *

Password *

Confirm Password *

First name *

Surname *

Postcode *

Country *

Mobile phone number

Username *

Gender *

Year of birth *

When you sign up...

You will have access to all our online competitions, discounted offers and can post comments on our site.

You will also receive The Weekender newsletter sent every Thursday - it’s full of fantastic offers and ideas for the weekend. You can update your email preferences in your account page when you log in.

Other newsletters and emails

Homes & Property Newsletter - Yes I want to receive the weekly email with all the latest news on property in the capital

Occasionally we would also like to send you relevant emails detailing specific offers either from ourselves or carefully selected partners. If you would prefer not to receive these then please tick the appropriate boxes below. We will never pass on your details.

I do not want to receive additional offers and information from the Evening Standard

I do not want to receive additional offers and information sent by Evening Standard on behalf of carefully selected partners

Terms and Conditions

* I have read, understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of Evening Standard

Registration

Mail Sent for Registration Confirmation.

A confirmation email has been sent. Please activate your account by clicking on the activation link sent in your mail box.

The peer was giving evidence on Thursday at the Sheffield inquest into the death of Slovakian Martyn Gombar, 28, who died on Christmas Day 2007 when he was hit by the peer's Jaguar on the M1 near Rotherham, South Yorkshire.

Earlier this year, Lord Ahmed was jailed for 12 weeks after he admitted sending and receiving a series of text messages as he drove down the motorway prior to the collision with Mr Gombar. He was released after serving 17 days when the Court of Appeal suspended that sentence.

A series of courts have heard how Lord Ahmed had finished texting by the time the collision took place.

On Thursday, a coroner heard there was a gap of two minutes and seven seconds between him sending the last of these messages and him making a 999 call after the fatal crash.

Analysis of the mobile phone masts which were used to send Lord Ahmed's texts also showed he was at least a "couple of kilometres" north of the collision site at the time he sent the last one.

Coroner Chris Dorries said that if he assumed the 999 call was made 15 seconds after the fatal impact that would mean the crash happened roughly between 90 seconds and two minutes after the last text was sent.

He asked Lord Ahmed: "In the period of that 90 seconds, or whatever the figure actually is, did you pick up your mobile phone and look to see if a reply had been received or start making a further reply?"

The peer replied: "Absolutely not sir."