Singing star Nutini denies drink-driving
SCOTS singer Paolo Nutini is to face trial after denying drinkdriving when he appeared in court yesterday.
The star was at the sheriff court in his home town of Paisley, Renfrewshire, to face claims he took to the wheel of a Mini while more than twice the drink-drive limit.
Prosecutors claim the 30-year-old, who has released three platinum albums, had 48 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath – more than double the 22mcg legal limit – while driving in Paisley on February 21.
He was arrested last month and was released on an undertaking to appear at court.
When he appeared in the dock yesterday, his defence solicitor Massimo Franchi told Sheriff Derek Hamilton that his client maintained his innocence.
The lawyer asked for Nutini to be ordained to appear at future hearings, as opposed to being released on bail, and asked for his attendance to be excused from a pre-trial hearing because of his commitments.
He explained: ‘I have spoken to the Crown in relation to this matter. They know what the specific defence is in this case.
‘He travels frequently, outwith Scotland and the UK, not only for work, but also, he does a huge amount of work for charity.
‘In Scotland and the UK, he does an endless amount of work for charity. He will be in regular contact with me throughout the entire process.
‘If anything changes, as an officer of court, I would invite him to attend.’
Fiscal depute Margaret McCallum said prosecutors were ‘neutral’ as to whether or not Nutini should be excused attendance at the next hearing – and asked for a pre-trial hearing and a trial date to be fixed.
Sheriff Hamilton then agreed to ordain Nutini, rather than placing him on bail, adding: ‘I don’t see any need for bail.’
But he refused to excuse the star’s attendance at the pre-trial hearing in May and ordered him to appear in person.
Nutini is due to face trial in June.