Flintoff escapes a ban over speeding offence
ANDREW ‘Freddie’ Flintoff has avoided a driving ban for speeding.
The former Lancashire and England cricket star, who has a series of motoring convictions, was caught in his Mercedes travelling at 58mph in a 40mph zone on the A34 Kingsway through Cheadle.
But despite currently having six points on his licence and a series of earlier court appearances about his driving record, the 38-year-old millionaire was given four points – bringing the total to 10 points on his licence.
He was also fined £500 for speeding plus a £50 victim surcharge and £80 court costs at Manchester magistrates court.
The latest offence took place on October 7 last year, when Flintoff was driving his Mercedes S300L along the A34 Kingsway near the M60 motorway.
Defence lawyer Michael Neofytou told the hearing: “He was coming out of a 50mph zone into a 40.
“He was still going 58 in a 50, but it wasn’t a case of wilful driving with excess speed.”
Passing sentence, chairman of the bench David Wagstaff told Flintoff: “Speeding is always dangerous even when on a dual carriageway.”
The case comes two years after father-of-three Flintoff, who lives in a £3m mansion in Mottram St Andrew, near Macclesfield, escaped a driving ban for speeding in his £150,000 Bentley at 87mph by claiming it would cause ‘exceptional hardship.’
He argued in that case that disqualification would hurt those who rely on his charity work – and damage his TV career.
In 2008, he was captured by a speed camera driving at 87mph in a 50mph zone but was acquitted of speeding after his lawyers used a legal loophole to argue a prosecution notice was sent to the all-rounder two days too late.
Lucy Amos, a spokesman for road safety charity Brake, said after that case: “Speed limits exist to stop crashes that lead to death and serious injury, and we all have a responsibility to obey them.
“A strong message must be sent to those who break these limits.”