Nearly a decade after his car was clocked speeding, Chris Huhne has pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice.
This is how the case unfolded:
2003
March 12: Huhne, a Member of the European Parliament, is returning home to Clapham, south London, from Stansted Airport when his vehicle is caught speeding in Essex. It is later alleged that he asked “someone” to take the three penalty points so he could avoid a driving ban.
2005
May: The politician enters Parliament as MP for Eastleigh in Hampshire and is appointed Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman, dealing with tax and public spending.
2006
January: Within months of arriving at Westminster he stands against party veteran Sir Menzies Campbell, who beats him into second place for the Lib Dem leadership.
March: Huhne is appointed party spokesman for environment, food and rural affairs.
2007
October: Huhne bids to lead the party again but is beaten by current leader Nick Clegg by 511 votes.
December: The grandfather-of-one is appointed Lib Dem home affairs spokesman.
2010
May: He joins the coalition Government Cabinet, being appointed Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change.
June: His affair with his PR adviser Carina Trimingham is exposed, ending his 26-year marriage to Vicky Pryce.
2011
May 8: Sunday newspapers report allegations that the MP asked someone to take his speeding points to avoid a driving ban in 2003. He denies the claims.
May 13: Labour MP Simon Danczuk makes a formal complaint to police about the allegations and asks officers to investigate.
May 16: Detective Superintendent Tim Wills, of Essex Police, says the claims will be reviewed before a formal investigation is launched.
Huhne dismisses the allegations as “simply incorrect”. Prime Minister David Cameron says he has full confidence in him.
May 24: Huhne and Pryce are questioned by police.
September 21: Huhne speaks of his “enormous regret” at the bitter break-up of his marriage, telling a fringe event at the Liberal Democrat conference in Birmingham that he apologised to his ex-wife over the split - but she refused to forgive him.
2012
February 3: Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer announces on live television that Huhne and Pryce will be charged with perverting the course of justice.
Huhne stands down from Government, but vows to fight the accusation.
February 16: Pryce and Huhne make their first appearance in court at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
March 2: The former couple appear at Southwark, where it emerges the ex-energy secretary has hired Harry Redknapp’s legal team.
June 1: Pryce pleads not guilty to the charge and the court hears she is planning a defence of marital coercion. No plea is entered by Huhne.
October 5: The trial of Huhne and Pryce is adjourned for legal reasons until January 14.
2013
February 4: On the first day of their trial, Huhne changes his plea to guilty. It can be reported that he had tried to get the case thrown out - both through an application to stay the proceedings as an abuse of process of the court, as well as an application to dismiss the case. Both were rejected.
After his guilty plea, Huhne resigns as MP for Eastleigh.
