The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Griffiths found guilty – then off to win match
Former Dundee striker Leigh Griffiths convicted of speeding through city after three-day trial including a seven-hour stint of technical evidence due to denial
Former Dundee striker Leigh Griffiths was yesterday convicted of speeding through the city – before having to rush off to play for Celtic in a European tie.
The Scotland star was found guilty following a three-day trial that saw one police worker giving seven solid hours of technical evidence.
Griffiths was fined £200 and given three penalty points after his denials were rejected at Dundee Justice of the Peace Court.
He headed to Glasgow for Celtic’s Europa League tie with Rosenborg where he started on the bench and came on to score the winning goal late in the match at Celtic Park.
Asked outside court if it was three points he would rather not have had, Griffiths refused to answer – then swiped at a photographer’s camera as he walked away with his solicitor.
Defence lawyer Robert Sheridan had launched a multi-faceted attack on the charges.
He claimed the evidence that Griffiths was in fact the driver was inadmissible despite the star signing a form confirming he was behind the wheel.
Mr Sheridan also claimed there was not enough signage on the central reservation of the dual carriageway to inform him that he was in a 50mph limit as he hit 62mph and that he had been caught “unfairly”.
The brief also attempted to have the case thrown out on the basis of there being no case to answer because the speed gun used to catch Griffiths had been manufactured in the USA.
Depute fiscal Alan Kempton apologised to the court for the amount of detailed evidence that had to be led in court because Griffiths’ legal team had challenged a legal notice that would have agreed the basic facts of the case.
A court insider said: “The cost to the public purse of running the trial will have been many multiples of the fine.”
The court was told Griffiths was spotted travelling at 62mph in the 50mph zone on the northern outskirts of Dundee on June 3 last year – just days before his famous double against England at Hampden in a World Cup qualifier.
Griffiths, 28, of East Lothian, denied a charge of speeding on June 3 last year on Kingsway, Dundee.
JP Derek Cochrane found him guilty and fined him £200, and added three penalty points to his licence.
The court heard Griffiths already has three points live on his licence from an earlier motoring offence.