Aha, you can’t give me a long speeding ban!
Coogan is let off six-month penalty because he’s making new TV show
COMEDIAN Steve Coogan escaped a lengthy driving ban yesterday after claiming it would force him to cancel his new BBC series.
The Alan Partridge star was clocked driving his Porsche at 36mph in a 30mph zone close to his £4million mansion in East Sussex.
Magistrates gave Coogan, 53, a three-point endorsement on his driving licence after he was caught by an automatic camera on the A22 on January 8
He already had nine points from previous motoring offences so this took his total to 12, risking an automatic six-month ban under totting up rules.
But the bench instead barred him from driving for two months after hearing the longer punishment would force him to cancel an Alan Partridge ‘travelogue’ series he is due to start filming in October.
The actor said it features his comedy character – whose catchphrase is ‘Aha’ – driving around Britain meeting people.
Wearing a blue suit, white shirt and tie, Coogan told the court: ‘I’m producing a travelogue follow-on TV series where I’m basically driving around Britain.
‘The whole nature of the series is that it is a travelogue, and it’s an artistic thing that he drives and that defines his character.
‘You couldn’t put him on a train because that’s not who he is – it’s part of his character that he drives.’ He insisted the shots could not be faked because he has to be seen driving the vehicle.
‘You have cameras mounted on the bonnet then you have other shots where you have a camera mounted on a separate car filming the person in the car driving,’ said Coogan, who lives in Halland.
He added his Baby Cow production company has lined up 15 to 20 professionals for the series who would struggle to find alternative work if he cancelled it.
The court heard the actor, a motoring enthusiast, has a history of speeding offences and attended a driver awareness course just two months ago.
Coogan admitted his record was not good but claimed he was trying to improve by using a car with automatic cruise control to keep within speed limits.
‘I’m trying to slow down and I try to observe the average speed limits that have come in,’ he said.
Chairman of the bench Ann Schroder said magistrates took into account the ‘exceptional hardship’ it would cause other professionals if the travelogue show was cancelled.
She added: ‘We have also taken into account your driving record, which is not very good.’
As well as the points and ban, magistrates fined the father-ofone £750 with £85 costs and £75 victim surcharge. Asked if he could pay immediately, Coogan replied: ‘I can.’
The comedian declined to comment after the hearing in Crawley and was driven away by a friend in a burgundy Range Rover.
In 2012, he escaped a ban after saying he could not remember who was driving when his Range Rover was allegedly doing 39mph in a 30mph zone in Hove, East Sussex. Coogan told magistrates the identity ‘slipped my mind’.
Then in 2016, he was fined £670 and banned for 28 days after being caught at 54mph in a 30mph zone in a £25,000 Mazda in Brighton.
Coogan has owned a succession of cars including Ferraris, Mazdas, Range Rovers and Porsches.
Last month he sold his 1969 Aston Martin DBS V8 – top speed 160mph – for more than £150,000.
‘Driving record is not very good’