Soccer

Jack Grealish given nine-month driving ban for lockdown crash

Aston Villa played was also fined just over £80,000 for the incident last March

Aston Villa captain, Jack Grealish, leaves Birmingham Magistrates’ Court, Birmingham, after he was banned from driving for nine months and fined £82,499 for two charges of careless driving. Photo: Jacob King/PA Wire

Tue Dec 15 2020 - 14:20

Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish has been banned from driving for nine months and fined a total of £82,499 (€91,000) after crashing his high-powered £80,000 Range Rover during March’s Covid-19 lockdown.

The 25-year-old England international 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 29th.

Grealish 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.

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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 18th.

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.