Comedian and Hollywood actor Omid Djalili was fined £2,900 and hit with a six-month driving ban today for riding his three-wheel moped uninsured and with an expired licence.
The face of Moneysupermarket.com has now clocked up a whopping thirty-six penalty points for driving offences and owes approximately another £3,000 in fines and court costs he claims to know nothing about.
Gladiator and Pirates of the Caribbean star Djalili, 46, (pictured outside court) of Sheen Lane, East Sheen argued he needed to keep his licence to avoid fanatics, who have issued death threats, and abusive passengers on public transport.
The father-of-three denied, but was convicted at City of London Magistrates' Court of riding his Piaggio MP3 without insurance and not in accordance with a licence in Grosvenor Road, Pimlico on May 4.
He was fined £2,000 and given six penalty points for driving without insurance and fined £700 for the licence offence and ordered to pay £600 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.
Djalili admitted illegally riding his moped in a cycle-only superhighway lane while travelling to the Vaudeville Theatre, where he was starring in Joe Orton's 'What The Butler Saw' and was fined an additional £200.
Police Sergeant Simon Rhodes told the court: "I was drawn to the speed, which I deemed to be over thirty miles per hour. The vehicle then pulled into the cycle lane and undertook six vehicles."
The officer impounded the scooter because Djalili's licence had passed the twelve penalty point threshold, rendering his insurance invalid, and it took the entertainer two weeks to get it back.
"I had absolutely no idea I had these points on my licence, I never received anything," Djalili told the court. Maybe I was on tour at the time doing stand-up comedy. I have never received anything about these court cases."
Djalili has five previous offences of failing to inform who was in charge of his Lexus car and Piaggio moped when caught on London traffic cameras either speeding, jumping red lights or breaching other road laws.
"These points will be contested and I am in the process of appealing," said Djalili, who has instructed celebrity law firm Freeman and Co.
Claiming any disqualification would cause him 'exceptional hardship' he told the court: "I have found myself being harassed and recognised on public transport.
"If I don't stop and take a picture with someone it can get abusive, which is distressing.
"I also suffer terrible nausea on tour buses and let my crew go ahead and I follow in my car and my wife has a nervous disorder, which prevents her driving."
Chelsea-born Djalili, whose parents are Iranian, added: "There is also a security issue. Coming from the Middle East and not being a muslim I've had death threats and have always felt more secure when I am driving."
No comments:
Post a Comment