MP Fiona Onasanya's speeding case 'became about lying'

Fiona Onasanya denies perverting the course of justice

What started as a case about speeding "has become a case about lying", the retrial of Peterborough MP Fiona Onasanya has heard.

Prosecutor David Jeremy QC told the Old Bailey how she claimed a Russian man had been behind the wheel when her Nissan Micra was clocked doing 41mph in a 30mph zone in July 2017.

But jurors heard he was in Russia and had never driven the MP's car.

Ms Onasanya, 35, denies one count of perverting the course of justice.

The jury has heard the Labour MP's car was caught near Peterborough just after 22:00 BST on 24 July 2017.

The MP's brother Festus Onasanya has admitted perverting the course of justice

She received a Notice of Intended Prosecution that required her to state whether she was driving the car at the time, or to identify who was.

It was returned naming Aleks Antipow as the driver.

The jury was told a false address and telephone number were provided along with his name. The prosecution alleges this was in order to make Mr Antipow "untraceable to the police" and so the "true driver" would escape prosecution.

The court heard Ms Onasanya's brother Festus Onasanya had admitted this, pleading guilty to perverting the course of justice last month.

The prosecution accuses Ms Onasanya of "acting jointly" with her brother "in telling lies in order to prevent the prosecution of the driver of her car".

The jury heard how Christian DeFeo, Ms Onasanya's head of campaign communications, came forward during the last trial after reading coverage of the case.

He and his wife said the MP visited their house "a short distance" from the speed camera in Thorney on the evening of 24 July.

The prosecution said the DeFeos recalled it was dark when Ms Onasanya departed and that she "had arrived and left alone".

The trial continues.