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English footballer Jack Grealish was banned from driving for nine months and fined £ 82,499 after crashing his Range Rover during the COVID-19 lockdown in March.
The 25-year-old Aston Villa captain was sentenced in Birmingham Magistrates Court on Tuesday, after previously admitting two reckless driving charges.
One was linked to an incident during the first coronavirus crash when his £ 80,000 Range Rover struck two parked vehicles on Dickens Heath, Solihull, West Midlands. The 4×4 was then driven into a nearby parking wall.
A witness said Grealish smelled like “intoxicating liquor” and was slurring words, immediately after the March 29 crash.
Damage to the Range Rover driven by the footballer after the March incident
Grealish already had six points on his license for a speeding violation in 2018.
The Premier League star, from Barnt Green, Worcestershire, was involved in the incident less than 24 hours after posting a video message on Twitter urging people to stay home to save lives and protect the NHS.
He apologized hours after the accident and said in a video message that he was “deeply embarrassed” and had “stupidly agreed” to go to a friend’s house.
He also pleaded guilty to another reckless driving offense after prosecutors said he was seen driving more than 90 mph along the M42 at “an intimidating distance” by an unmarked police car on October 18.
Grealish was also ordered to pay costs of £ 220 and a victim surcharge of £ 181, bringing his total in costs and fines to £ 82,900, all payable in seven days.
The winger will also have to apply for a new license, once his ban ends.
