Aston Villa and England midfielder Jack Grealish sentenced after pleading guilty to two charges of careless driving, including one offence in connection with a crash during March's coronavirus lockdown; he also pleaded guilty to a second offence in October
Tuesday 15 December 2020 18:59, UK
England footballer Jack Grealish has been banned from driving for nine months and fined a total of £82,499 after crashing his high-powered £80,000 Range Rover during March's Covid-19 lockdown.
The 25-year-old Aston Villa captain was sentenced at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, after previously pleading guilty to two charges, including one linked to the incident in which his 4x4 hit two parked vehicles in Dickens Heath, Solihull, West Midlands.
A judge was told that a witness said Grealish smelled of "intoxicating liquor" and was slurring his words immediately after the crash on March 29.
The Premier League star, of Barnt Green, Worcestershire, was involved in the incident less than 24 hours after issuing a Twitter video message urging people to stay at home to save lives and protect the NHS.
He also pleaded guilty to a separate offence of careless driving after prosecutors said an unmarked police car spotted him driving at more than 90mph along the M42 at "close to an intimidating distance" on October 18.
Grealish was also ordered to pay costs of £220 and a victim surcharge of £181, taking his total in costs and fines to £82,900 - all payable within seven days.
The winger will also have to apply for a new licence, once his ban ends.
Sentencing, District Judge John Bristow, told the winger: "The offence on March 29 was committed six days after the national coronavirus lockdown was announced.
"You should have been at home, you do not assert you had any proper reason not to be.
"You should not have been driving on March 29 - this is a further aggravating feature."
He added: "The two offences were committed within seven months of each other, you have caused damage by your driving and you have driven in an intimidating way at excessive speeds on a motorway."
