Crime writer Lynda La Plante has been banned from driving for six months after accumulating 24 penalty points for speeding offenses, primarily in 20mph zones. The 83-year-old author, known for the "Prime Suspect" series, admitted to five instances of exceeding speed limits near her Kingston-upon-Thames home between November and April.
La Plante already had nine points on her license from three earlier speeding convictions in 2023 and 2025. The additional 15 points resulted from being caught driving between 24mph and 27mph on five separate occasions. Lavender Hill Magistrates' Court heard that she committed these offenses while driving a Toyota and taking her guard dog, Theo, for walks. Her total of 24 points is double the usual threshold for an automatic driving ban.
In addition to the ban, La Plante was fined £3,330, ordered to pay £130 in costs, and a £1,332 victim surcharge. She argued that speed limit signs on the A308 were confusing and that she had inadvertently exceeded the limit while focusing on safe driving. Her lawyer, Nick Freeman, known as "Mr Loophole," contended that driving is a vital aspect of her life and that the disqualification was excessive.
Magistrates rejected the plea, stating La Plante had not sufficiently proven that the ban would cause her "exceptional hardship." The writer had warned the court that the emotional toll of losing her license could halt her writing career, describing her work as solitary and requiring intense concentration. She also stated that her car was vital for research into future fictional works.
This legal consequence comes more than eight decades after a significant road tragedy affected La Plante's family. When she was six months pregnant with Lynda, her sister Dail was struck and killed by an articulated lorry near their home in Crosby, Merseyside, just before Christmas in 1942. Dail was six years old at the time and suffered catastrophic injuries after being caught beneath the vehicle's wheels.
La Plante has written about how her sister's death deeply impacted her childhood. In her 2024 autobiography, "Getting Away With Murder: My Unexpected Life On Page, Stage And Screen," she described Dail as a "void" in their home and recounted her mother's loss of faith, stating, "There can be no God who would take a child like that."
The writer has previously spoken about her lifelong affection for cars, referring to motoring as her "guilty pleasure." She has owned various vehicles over the years, including a Rolls-Royce Corniche, Jaguars, and a Range Rover, but has expressed a particular fondness for her Smart car. La Plante suggested that her reliance on her car for dog walks might necessitate rehoming her 18-month-old dog, Theo, as the nearest park is unsuitable.
La Plante's career as a screenwriter began in 1983 with the drama "Widows." She has since published over 40 novels and is widely recognized for creating "Prime Suspect," starring Helen Mirren. Before her writing career, she trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company.