Shaun Wright-Phillips avoids jail for driving while disqualified as he didn't know he was banned 8 Aug 2013 00:00 He told magistrates he was unaware he should not have been on the road as he does not open his own mail, his agent does Adam Sorenson /Daily Mirror Shaun Wright-Phillips yesterday avoided jail for driving while disqualified – because he never knew he was banned. The millionaire QPR footballer told magistrates he was unaware he should not have been on the road as he does not open his own mail, his agent does. Wright-Phillips, 31, had missed a string of court summons after his £200,000 Bentley was clocked doing 79mph on a 50mph stretch at Esher, Surrey, on March 28, 2012. A disqualification note was sent to his agents’ address in Luton, Beds, where the car was registered. A number of reminders went out, including one to the star’s home in Surrey. But he never saw any of them, the court heard. Wright-Phillips was banned in his absence last December. A month later he was arrested at QPR’s training ground in Harlington, West London, by police who spotted his insurance had been invalidated. He admitted driving while banned when he appeared before magistrates in Uxbridge yesterday. But lawyer Gwyn Lewis argued the midfielder should escape a further ban or jail as he was “blissfully unaware” of the papers. Mr Lewis, dubbed Merlin the Magician for his ability to make “many worrying cases disappear”, said: “We will be making a special reasons argument that the defendant shouldn’t be endorsed with points, a ban or jail, which would normally be the case.” Magistrates accepted those “special reasons” and fined the player £800 and ordered him to pay £85 costs with an £80 surcharge. They said he “would not have expected to receive the mail”. Wright-Phillips, who was banned for speeding in 2004 by Crewe magistrates, told the court “From now on I will definitely open the mail even if it is junk.” He left court without commenting. Check out all the latest News, Sport & Celeb gossip at Mirror.co.uk http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/footb...ips-avoids-jail-driving-2138396#ixzz2bKPXqb6t Follow us: @DailyMirror on Twitter | DailyMirror on Facebook
Easy mistake. My butler opens my mail. I feel for the little fella. '' But lawyer Gwyn Lewis argued the midfielder should escape a further ban or jail as he was “blissfully unaware” of the papers.'' I must remember to use that one next time. They obviously fall for it.
Given that SWP earns £60,000 a week and his fine is £965. That is the equivalent of a normal person on average earnings (£26,500) being fined £4. Nice!
They say the justice system is fair. It is more fair if you have money, there's no doubt. Just ask OJ Simpson, Michael Jackson (if he was alive) etc..... Lucky, lucky boy SWP.
What is it with these bloody prats with their Bentley's? Maybe Anton's mum could take care of the always smiling little man's mail?
Of course he knew, his agent would have warned him but thinking he was bigger than the law (the only thing he thinks he is bigger than other than Puppa Smurf) he waited till his ****ing cocksucking lawyer made up a few lies. Another flash **** abusing the system.
that's bloody out of order, I see him a little while ago he could just about see over his steering wheel, I must put a card through his letter box as he lives in the next village and see if he wants a chauffeur, and got the number of his lawyer at the same time
So that explains why a shortarse who has had thousands of letters telling him he's a useless ex-scum c*nt who couldn't hit a cow's arse with a banjo is always smiling...
Must have a scissor-lift in his car to see over the dash. In saying that, he is a QPR player so I do think that the fine was harsh. The butler may have to 'work for the love of it' for a couple of weeks till it's paid off.
Quite frankly, it's appalling. How can magistrates accept such an excuse? I thought ignorance of the law is no excuse, and in my mind this falls into that category. It is simply not good enough that because an individual delegates responsibility for reading his own communications to a third party he should be excused adherence to the law. If, for want of an absurd example, you were driving in Germany and, because you didn't speak fluent Occupation, ignored a sign saying "Todesgefahr", would you expect to escape punishment because you didn't have your interpreter sat next to you?
I am sure Rosie the Dog could start a mail handling company for everyone at the club. Could be a nice little earner!
Good for SWP Fight the power I once rode my bicycle on the path at night ... Yep you guessed it ... No lights also **** the law
This is typical of the modern-day footballer, above the law and social norms of normal people, AND they know it. Normal rich people hire a driver so they can drink etc. Perhaps SWP is not getting paid enough?
Mrs Ferdinand's Happy Bus, seen on the way to the training ground to pick up the boys. If they are well behaved they get to stop off at MacDonalds on the way home. She could make a nice living ferrying around the "banned ones". please log in to view this image
