Lady Tatiana Howard Ran Over Pedestrian Driving Porsche On Wrong Side Of Road

Furniture designer Lady Tatiana Howard was fined £500 today for running over and hospitalising a pedestrian with her Porsche as she drove along the wrong side of the road on the way to her boutique Fulham store.

Lady Tatiana, 49, impatiently overtook a row of stationary cars on her way to Tatiana Tafur in fashionable King's Road when she struck David Laing in nearby North End Road, West Kensington.

The mother-of-two, who studied the History of Art at Sotheby's and lives in a £1 million house in

Little Barrington, Burford, Oxfordshire admitted driving her black Porsche Boxter without due care and attention on January 14.

"We have heard that you drove in a dangerous manner," bench chairwoman Cathy Jago told Lady Tatiana at Lavender Hill Magistrates Court. 

"You were driving on the wrong side of the road and that resulted in a pedestrian being hit by your vehicle and him being taken to hospital by ambulance."

She was also ordered to pay £85 costs, a £50 victim surcharge and received five penalty points.

Prosecutor Miss Melanie Hardwick told the court it was 10am when Mr. Laing was crossing the road outside North End Medical Centre.

"He says that as he approached the middle of the road he looked to his left and to his right and as he stepped out he was hit by the Porsche.

"The driver said she was rushing to get to work.

"Mr. Laing received injuries to his shoulder, leg, neck and head as a result of being struck by the defendant.

"She got out of her car to ask if he was okay and an ambulance was called."

The court heard Lady Tatiana already has six penalty points on her driver's licence for using a mobile phone and speeding.

Her lawyer Mr. Mark Haslam told the court: "The impact speed was in the region of 10mph and the injuries were not described as serious.

"The traffic was solid in two lanes and she wished to turn right into Star Road and pulled out of her lane, having checked there was no traffic coming towards her.

"The pedestrian came from between vehicles, from behind a stationary white van and did not choose to use a pedestrian crossing.

"By being on the wrong side of the road she accepts that it was driving without due care and attention."

All insurance issues have been settled. "There was no significant personal injury claim," added Mr. Haslam.

Asking the court not to impose six or more penalty points, which would result in an automatic ban, he said: "She is a married lady and her husband works in London, where he lives during the week.

"She has twin children, aged seven, and they go to school eighteen miles away and there is no public transport.

"She works for her manufacturing company that designs furniture and employs four people, but it is not in the best financial health and the last account showed losses of eight thousand pounds.

"She works from home, but also drives to her work three times a week."