Priest joins video meeting while driving to funeral

Video caption, Monmouthshire priest joins video meeting while driving to funeral
  • Author, Twm Owen
  • Role, Local Democracy Reporting Service

A priest has explained why he was shown on screen in his car listening to a council meeting while driving to take charge of a funeral.

Malcolm Lane, who is also a councillor, spoke to introduce himself to the meeting - only for public services scrutiny committee chairman Armand Watts to see via the live video feed that he was in his vehicle and ask if was behind the wheel.

The Monmouthshire Conservative confirmed that he was - and was then urged by Watts to pull over and turn off the camera on his mobile phone.

Lane said later that he accidentally failed to turn the screen off, only intended to listen in, and insisted that he never took his eyes off the road.

At the start of the meeting, shown on YouTube, the priest could be seen at the wheel, with his phone camera facing up from the centre console of his vehicle.

After noticing, Watts asked him: "Malcolm, I鈥檝e just got an observation here, are you driving?鈥

Lane replied: 鈥淵eah, I鈥檓 driving. I鈥檓 actually off to conduct a funeral but I鈥檓 listening intently.鈥

Watts then consulted the committee clerk with his microphone turned off before responding.

Image source, Monmouthshire County Council

Image caption, "I pulled in when convenient to remedy this situation," says Malcolm Lane, who represents the Mardy ward on Monmouthshire Council

鈥淢alcolm, my advice to you because I鈥檓 not sure where you are, obviously you鈥檝e got important business this morning, would be to possibly pull over if you can.

"Just turn your camera off maybe,鈥 said Watts.

The councillor said he attended a 09:30 BST pre-meeting via video link from home, and intended listening to the public session when councillors were briefed on dental services as he drove to the funeral in Newport.

He said: 鈥淚 was to officiate at a funeral at 11 o鈥檆lock at Langston Vale Crematorium and decided to listen to the rest of the meeting in the car after I left home which was at 10.15 for the journey to the crematorium and I thought I would listen to the meeting through the audio system on my car."

鈥淚 was about halfway on my journey to Newport when I heard the chairman speak to me and ask if I was driving which was when I realised that I had not turned the screen off. I pulled in when convenient to remedy this situation," he said.

He said he did not take his eyes off the road until he pulled in and confirmed the use of the phone was hands-free as it was connected to the car audio system.