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Banned from driving but £100,000-a-week Ashley Cole asks for 21 days to pay £1,000 fine
Paul Cheston, Courts Correspondent29 Jan 2010
England footballer Ashley Cole asked for 21 days to pay a £1,000 fine after being banned today for driving at 104mph in a 50mph limit.
The Chelsea player, who earns more than £100,000 a week, claimed he was trying to escape paparazzi tailing his £150,000 Lamborghini Gallardo as he roared down the A3 in Kingston at midday on 17 November 2008.
When Cole, 29, married to X-Factor judge Cheryl, was pulled over by police with a speed gun he asked the officer: “Can't you do anything about these idiots who keep chasing me.”
Today Cole, who was not in court, immediately appealed after being given a four-month driving ban. His lawyer Katherine Hodson also asked for three weeks to pay the £1,000 fine and £300 court costs.
Kingston magistrates laughed at the request before granting it.
Chairwoman Patricia Baskerville said: “We have taken into account Mr Cole's clean licence however this was an incident of excessive speed, over twice the speed limit on the road and these were exceptional circumstances which we need to mark.”
An attempt by Ms Hodson to have sentencing adjourned was rejected.
Reader views (37)
Yet more useless star-struck magistrates bottling out of dishing out a decent sentence to some over-paid non-entity.
- Matt, Islington, 29/01/2010 18:56
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I don't know why people keep slating Ash, he worked hard for his money, and people who keep saying, 'Who cares', if you don't carem why read the article in the first place? Personally, I think footballers or entertainers work for their money, as do bankers and such, if you want to hate, hate. They're still piling up the dough...
- Ola Sotoye, New York, NY, 29/01/2010 17:54
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I suppose we can always hope the penalty is increased on appeal for wasting the courts time
- Tonybr, Hampshire, 29/01/2010 17:06
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These so called footballer's live in a Mickey Mouse world.
They should have increased the fine on him for taking the mickey.
- Joe, Swanley Kent, 29/01/2010 16:27
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Not sure what the fuss is about. 21 days to pay a fine is standard practice in a magistrates' court. It's the time period allowed to file an appeal and therefore, a fine is not due until the the time to appeal period has passed. It is irrespective of whether you are going to appeal or not.
- David, Barkingside, 29/01/2010 15:45
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Any ordinary person would have had a much larger fine imposed and a hefty ban,
this jumped up huge ego maniac does not know the value of any virtues what-so-ever,
welcome to the wonderful world of Cashley everyone...a first class muppett.
can you imagine a night in with him,adebayor and jt...throw in gary neville you got xmas..
- James, north london, 29/01/2010 15:39
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Norway and Finland hae it about right when dealing with fines. When are we going to adopt that system here. And wen are we going to seize the assets of those covicted of more serious crimes?
- Dhan Raj, Basildon, 29/01/2010 15:32
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For that degree of recklessness he ought to be in jail. It is only a matter of luck that separates his case from drivers whose recklessness has put them in jail for causing death by reckless driving.
- Andrew, London, 29/01/2010 15:24
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Just pay the fine, stop whingeing and try and set an example to those, who for some reason or another look up to you !
- Jonathan Lloyd, Nesle Hodeng France, 29/01/2010 15:24
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What does cheryl see in this little creep?
- Trevn, bedale uk, 29/01/2010 15:24
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".. banned from driving for four months .."
"Kingston magistrates laughed at the request before granting it."
Sums up the joke of a Justice system we have in this country. I might as well become a scummy criminal, pays better and the Laws on your side.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 29/01/2010 15:00
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Re Tim B's question - he's rich!
- Andy, London, 29/01/2010 14:57
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Why oh why did they allow him time to pay the fine, he's taking the P
- Shallotman, Basildon, 29/01/2010 14:44
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Good job he wasen't caught speeding in Norway or Finland where the police go to the tax office and then fine you a percentage of your annual tax income. One of the Directors of NOKIA in Finland was fined approx. EUROS 25,000 for speeding. I was fined the equivalent of GBP400 for speeding at 15km more than the allowed speed limit on a motoway in Norway and I don't even live in Norway. So bewarned when driving in Scandinavia. Hate to think what this footballer would have been fined had he committed the same offence in Norway or Finland.
- Frank, Copenhagen, Denmark, 29/01/2010 14:38
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That's the equivalent of a £2 fine for someone on the average wage.. The British law works for the Rich and for the lawyers but , not for ordinary folk.
.
Where has British Justice gone ? It's been weakened ,dispersed and finally destroyed courtesy of our wonderful politicians and is no longer available in this country.
- J B Blackett, Hendon, 29/01/2010 14:33
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Why didn't this weasel get a heftier ban? Driving at 104mph in a 50mph zone is outrageous. He clearly has no respect for any other road user than himself.
And yes he is the most despised footballer. He left Arsenal for an extra £5000 a week and now he wants to defer pyment of his £1000 fine!!!
- Paddy, London, 29/01/2010 14:32
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When it comes to fines, the minimum should be £1000 plus a percentage of average earnings, and that goes for all fines. Otherwise it makes no sense. Th rich should be hit as such as the poor.
- Dhan Raj, Basildon, 29/01/2010 13:49
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Expected nothing less from Cashley given his track record to date! A few more Ryan Giggs like role models and a lot less Cashley's please!!!
- Dave, London, 29/01/2010 13:46
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I have a good idea,shall all of us contributing to his obscene wages have a collection for the poor sole.What a nasty,despicable person he is prooving the only person he thinks about is himself.
- Mr.D, Essex, 29/01/2010 13:43
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Quote:..........trifling matter........
Whocares?, London
100+ in a 50 zone isn't exactly a "trifling matter".
- Steve, London, 29/01/2010 13:40
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There is an awful lot of comments for a trifling matter like a speeding fine.
Perspective people, perspective
- Whocares?, London, 29/01/2010 13:15
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How many penalty points did this brat get on his licence?
- Mj, East Anglia, 29/01/2010 12:49
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What a waste of space this man is
- Richard Edmunds, Rayleigh UK, 29/01/2010 12:48
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Fine amount, absolutely pathetic. He should be made to do 50 hours working in Accident + Emergency on a Friday + Saturday night, followed by 50 hours watching a post mortem and then preparing the body for the funeral and then perhaps a week on the front line in Helmand Province.Running away from the paparazzi is a doddle - grow up and get in to the real world.
- Don Elwin, France, 29/01/2010 12:44
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£100,000 would have been more proportionate, as an everyday person normally gets fines like this, and that does hurt.
Fining someone like him only £1K is like fining an average person a fiver.
- P Staker, London, 29/01/2010 12:32
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Mike, "most despised footballer in the UK" is probably an understatement.?
What on earth does Cheryl see in him!?
- Tim B., Addlestone UK, 29/01/2010 12:31
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Perhaps he could ask to pay the fine off at £1 a week.
- Sally, hertford UK, 29/01/2010 12:30
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Paul you have obviously never been stopped while racing another road user , the standard Police reply to why diin't you stop him as well? is "We can't stop everyone" As for the more time to pay request, his lawyer is obviously trying to get revenge, after all "Mr Loophole" has failed miserably.
- Sam, Romford, London England, 29/01/2010 12:30
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Surely he should have been banned for far longer for being twice over the speed limit.
- Rob G, London, 29/01/2010 12:21
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Jim, what 'pap'?? If he was being chased at 100mph I'd like to think the police might have noticed!
- Paul, London, 29/01/2010 12:03
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Another futbawler being a great role model. He and his wife constantly pimp themselves for their own vanity and material gain so what does he expect? Like some other European countries fines should be linked to income. £300 does not start to reflect his income I assume he can afford a chauffeur.
- Nelly, The Wild East, 29/01/2010 11:49
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even as an ardent chelsea fan, i can't defend the idiot. what offends me even more however is that he is launching an appeal...
- Simon Bucknell, enfield, 29/01/2010 11:48
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Clearly another ''lets make an example out of a rich footballer'' situation. Why wasnt the pap done for the same offence?! Wouldnt make the headlines would he?! The system is a joke!
- Jim, Herts UK, 29/01/2010 11:47
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Not while Rooney is still playing he isn't
- Barry, Welwyn England, 29/01/2010 11:42
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100 in a 50 zone, what is it with car drivers?
These are probably the same people who have a go at cyclist.
- Reiss, Essex, 29/01/2010 11:39
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Ashley Cole is failing to assume the responsibility of either adulthood or, indeed, of being a role model in the public eye.
His boss needs to ensure that this immature man learns about life.
By the wat, he does not earn £100,000 a week. That may be what he is paid but he does not earn it!
He should not be given any time to pay his fine. It should be doubled for every day that he fails to pay.
- Lester May, Camden Town, London, 29/01/2010 11:35
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Is this the most despised footballer in the UK?
- Mike Patton, London, 29/01/2010 11:27
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