Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft banned from driving for six months after breaking limit on M4
SINGER Richard Ashcroft was banned from driving yesterday by a judge who criticised his repeated speeding.
The Verve frontman, 55, admitted doing 48mph in a 40mph zone in his £145,000 four-litre Mercedes Benz AMG V8.
He already had nine penalty points on his licence before his latest offence on the M4 in Brentford, West London, late on February 19 last year.
He was given three more, taking him to 12 and an automatic ban.
Banning him for six months, district judge Daniel Benjamin said: “Mr Ashcroft put not only himself, but others road users at greater risk of harm.
“The purpose of the penalty points disqualification provision is to enable a person after one offence to change and after a second offence change and after a third offence change and Mr Ashcroft has reached four offences without showing any intention to abide by the speed limit.”
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Dad-of-two Ashcroft, who lives in a £10million house near Richmond Green, South West London, was also fined £1,875, with £880 in costs.
He pleaded guilty by post and did not appear at Lavender Hill magistrates’ court, blaming a pre-arranged commitment.
Charges of speeding on the M4 twice in one day in March were dropped.
Ashcroft led The Verve, known for hit Bitter Sweet Symphony, from 1990 to 2009.
