Saudi Playboy Caught Driving £168K McLaren Supercar High On Drugs

Likes A Puff: Al-Sharif

A rich Saudi playboy was caught by police driving his dad's £168,500 McLaren supercar while high on cannabis through Hyde Park one morning.

Mohammad Al-Sharif, 22, of Marylebone Road, Marylebone confessed to smoking the drug at 7.30am that morning and was unsteady on his feet with slurred speech when questioned by officers.

He pleaded guilty to driving a McLaren MP4-12c 3.8 litre twin-turbo V8 Velocita Wind Edition in West Carriage Drive on December 11, last year while unfit to drive through drugs.

Student Al-Sharif, who lives off a family allowance, was fined £400, with £85 costs and was ordered to pay an £85 victim surcharge. He was disqualified for twelve months.  

The supercar, which goes from 0mph to 60mph in 2.8 seconds, has a makeover by German specialists DMC, which increases its brake horsepower to 650bhp and makes the car more powerful and luxurious.

In the Middle East's Car of the Year awards it won 'Best Supercar' and overall 'Car of the Year' for 2012 and was priced at £168,500 when launched onto the market the year before.

The Velocita Wind Edition was inspired by a mystery Saudi enthusiast, who demanded an alternative custom design to the McLaren MP4-12c and Al-Sharif's car has been photographed cruising around Basil Street and Montpelier Street, Knightsbridge.

Prosecutor Mr. Tom Gill told Hammersmith Magistrates Court: "It was 10.40am and the defendant was driving a high-powered supercar erratically along West Carriage Drive and into the Triangle car park.

"He was spoken to and there was a strong smell of cannabis coming from the car, he was the sole occupier. He was unsteady on his feet, his speech was slurred when he spoke and he appeared intoxicated.

"He was asked if he had been smoking cannabis and said he had at 7.30 that morning.

"He was arrested and taken to Paddington Green Police Station and searched and a small amount of cannabis was found that he admitted was his.

"A blood test was analysed and it was found the defendant had used cannabis and another drug, but there is no indication what that drug is."

Al-Sharif's McLaren Velocita Wind Edition

It is believed to be a prescription medication.

Al-Sharif was driving on a Saudi Arabia-issued International Driving Licence, which ironically was not valid in his home country.

His lawyer Miss Nicola Roberson told the court her client contested a claim he was driving "erratically" adding: "This falls into the lowest category of the sentencing guidelines aggravated by a moderate level of impairment."

Al-Sharif has been studying in London since 2012, attending Birkbeck College, the London School of Business and Finance to improve his English and career prospects in the finance sector.

"There is no income from employment or benefits. He lives with the financial support of his family in Saudi Arabia, who pay his tuition fees and give him a living allowance.

"He has not come before the courts before and has no intention of doing so again."