Central problem

-if as DC said, he had no symptoms and his wife didn’t have Covid symptoms, why go to Durham in such haste?
-if neither were sure they had Covid, it wasn’t an exceptional circumstance- so no travel.
- if they suspected Mrs C had Covid-was against rules to travel.

Regardless of all this, seems unarguable that Barnard Castle trip was against the rules.

Strategy was clear: drown audience in detail, hope audience doesn’t follow and that that detail confers exceptionality. As I’ve said previously though, lack of contrition plus any real exceptionality (millions in same boat) means it may have done more harm than good.

The crux of Mr Cummings’ case is he drove to Durham in case he got ill, something which he couldn’t be sure he was. But the thing which would have justified the drive, made it exceptional, was illness, which would have prohibited the drive. In its own terms, it doesn’t cohere.