Television presenter Holly Willoughby is selling the black Mini Cooper she was driving when she was involved in a collision that left a moped rider with a broken neck. The incident occurred on August 28 of this year.
Court Hearing and Sentence
On Tuesday, Willoughby pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention at Lavender Hill Magistrates' Court. The case was heard in her married name, Holly Baldwin. She did not appear in person for the short hearing, entering her plea via post.
Prosecutors from the Metropolitan Police argued the incident should be treated as a Category 1A offence, the most serious level below dangerous driving. However, following arguments from her defence, magistrates ruled it fell into Category 1B.
Magistrate David Charnley stated there was no use of indicators and that mirrors were either not checked or the driver did not see the passing motorbike. Willoughby was given six penalty points on her driving licence and a total fine of £1,653, which included court costs and was reduced from £2,480 due to her early guilty plea. She must pay within 14 days.
Details of the Collision
The court heard that Willoughby was driving the sporty hatchback in Barnes, southwest London. She turned right without indicating as a moped rider, travelling at approximately 20mph on a white Piaggio scooter, was overtaking her.
The rider collided with the front wing of her car and was thrown to the ground, suffering a C7 fracture to his neck and a broken toe. In a statement, the unnamed victim said he was slowing down to stop at red traffic lights when the car turned into his path.
Defence lawyer Aisling Byrnes described it as a 'momentary lapse of judgment' and said Willoughby was 'traumatised' to have caused the accident. The court was told Willoughby got out of her car immediately to help, offering the rider water and her mobile phone, and waited at the scene until police arrived, where she admitted fault.
Moving On From the Crash
Now, in a bid to move on from the incident, the This Morning presenter has decided to sell the £25,000 vehicle. Sources told The Sun she has enlisted a dealer to help, stating 'the faster she can get it off her drive and gone for good the better'.
'Holly was absolutely devastated that she'd caused this accident. It really has shaken her up,' they said. 'Holly wants a fresh start and doesn't feel right driving the car again after what has happened.' Second-hand models like hers can fetch between £7,000 and £17,000 depending on condition and mileage.
The episode comes after a difficult few years for the star, who distanced herself from Phillip Schofield in 2023 and later quit This Morning following a kidnap and rape threat from a stalker. She recently returned to screens in Netflix's Celebrity Bear Hunt, but the series was axed after one season.
