Crimes, Sports NEWS

How footballer Joey Barton parks at court to answer traffic charge… on grass verge next to double yellow lines

Published by onlines on November 13, 2009

Footballer Joey Barton arrived at court yesterday to answer a traffic charge by parking on a grass verge next to double yellow lines.

The Newcastle United star turned up in an Aston Martin DBS Vantage, worth £170,000 – and parked his car on a verge outside the front doors of Bedlington Magistrates’ Court.

Barton, 27, said he was glad that ‘common sense had prevailed’ after a motoring offence case against him was dropped at the court.

The footballer had denied the charge of failure to give information regarding a driver’s identity, after his Land Rover was spotted speeding by police.

Barton’s car was caught by a speed camera travelling at 39mph in a 30mph zone, on the A69 in Northumberland, near Haydon Bridge, on 15 December last year.

He was not charged with speeding.

Joey+Barton+car+Grass

The case was dismissed by magistrates sitting yesterday, as they decided it was likely that he did not receive an initial letter from the police about the offence . Barton told the court he could not recall what happened that night, but did not believe he was driving because he was injured at the time.

He said: ‘I had ruptured my medial knee ligament and I was in a knee brace, so it would have been impossible for me to drive.’

He added: ‘I had people insured to drive me around.’

When asked by the prosecutor, Cuthbert Regan, about his whereabouts on the night of the alleged offence, he answered: ‘I was probably in bed.’

He added: ‘My understanding of speed cameras is there is a flash and I don’t recall a flash.’

The court heard the first letter was sent by Northumbria Police on the 22nd December, and a reminder was sent on the 26th January, and on the 24th February another letter was posted and a summons was later issued on 30th April.

The Newcastle United midfielder said he had not received the initial letter, but on receiving the second letter in January, he immediately passed it on to his solicitor.

The correspondence was sent to the footballer’s address in Widnes, Cheshire, where the car is registered, although he was living in Jesmond, Newcastle.

He said: ‘If I had got it (the letter) I would have dealt with it. I would have no reason not to.’

Barton said: ‘As soon as I got it, I sent it to my solicitor, Mr Lewis.’

‘I moved to the North East about a year and a half before the driving offence. When I first moved to the North East, I was in hotels for a few months at a time.

‘I couldn’t really register my car to a hotel or somewhere I didn’t know I was going to be.’

Speaking about his house in Widnes, he said: ‘It was a new build, when I bought it, it was a plot of land.

‘Eventually there were nearly 1,000 homes on the estate and there was no post code at first.’

Speaking about disruption to the post he said: ‘I was used to the letters coming in higgledy-piggledy and not getting bills until the final reminder.

‘Some people said they sent me cards that I never received. I went to the local post office to try and sort it out.’

He told the court he’d had to set up standing orders because of delays in getting bills.

Chairman of the bench Joseph Cox said: ‘We have decided on the balance of possibility that you did not receive the initial correspondence.

‘We know that you did contact the local mail sorting office and that you set up standing orders. We are not satisfied that the evidence is sufficient.’

Speaking outside court, Barton said: ‘I’m happy to see common sense has prevailed.’

( source : dailymail )

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