The millionaire playboy son of a wealthy South Korean shipping family was banned from the roads for a year today and fined £6,000 after losing control of his powerful £208,000 Ferrari and ploughing into a group of terrified schoolchildren.
Andy Kwon, 36, grew impatient in heavy Battersea Bridge traffic near his £750,000 apartment and mounted the pavement as his U-turn manoeuvre ‘fishtailed’ out of control, inflicting serious injuries on the teenagers.
He told Wimbledon Magistrates Court his four supercars, garaged underneath his Chelsea home in Hepworth Court, Gatliff Road are now up for sale and he will hire a chauffeur during the 180 non-domicile days he spends in the UK.
Kwon pleaded guilty to driving his red 2015 4.5 litre Ferrari 458 Speciale without due care and attention in Battersea Park Road, Battersea on December 12 last year and was also ordered to pay £85 costs and a £600 victim surcharge.
Seven teenagers were hospitalised as they walked to a Christmas party, with one knocked over railings and falling four metres into the windscreen of a parked Toyota Corolla below.
“He performed a u-turn in the street and the students were in front of him,” said prosecutor Miss Jackie Hughes. “His wheels began to spin and he lost control and mounted the pavement and collided into the group.”
The teenagers, aged sixteen and seventeen years-old suffered facial cuts and bruises, injuries to their legs with some suffering continued pain to their hips, knees necks and shoulders and dizziness and headaches.
Kwon’s lawyer Mr. Robin Sellars told the court his client had not driven the Ferrari for a month, contributing to an unfamiliarity he had with the vehicle’s power.
“He was driving for a short period and on Battersea Bridge there was a queue of traffic and he decided to turn around. After the u-turn he accelerated and lost control of the vehicle, it took him by surprise.
“He did not take appropriate action and the car fishtailed.”
Kwon spends most of the remaining year in Singapore for tax purposes and before the disqualification had given up driving in this country. “He’s a man of considerable means. He can use a driver.”
Magistrate Mr. Rod Wood told Kwon: “We have noted the seriousness of this accident and the number of victims involved.”
1 comment:
Well... people make mistajes afterall was driving for a short period and there was a queue of traffic then lost control of the vehicle after the u-turn. Be more careful next time feller, and stay avoid.
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