Classical Musician Lady Alison Mendes Banned After Caught Speeding In Her Tesla

Banned: Lady Mendes

The award-winning classical musician wife of James Bond director Sir Sam Mendes appeared in court today where she was banned from driving after clocking-up her fourth offence.

Lady Alison Mendes, 44, received a six-month ban, despite her barrister pleading with magistrates for a shorter disqualification.

The trumpet soloist, of Turville, Buckinghamshire, is also an arranger, producer and music educator and has won three Classic BRIT awards.

She pleaded guilty to driving her black 2019 Tesla at 38mph in a 30mph zone on the A40 Westway Flyover, Shepherd’s Bush on August 15, last year.

Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court heard Lady Mendes, who married Academy Award-winning film director Sir Sam in 2017, already had nine penalty points on her driving licence.

These were imposed in March, 2020 and July, 2022 for three separate driving offences.

Today’s three points took Lady Mendes - who was awarded an OBE in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to music - to twelve penalty points, which triggers an automatic six-month disqualification.

Prosecutor Sarah Will said it was 10.53am when a speed camera captured Lady Mendes - a Visiting Professor of Trumpet at the Guildhall School of Music and drama - breaking the limit.

Her barrister, Tunde Okewale, told the magistrates: “The objective is to identify a period of time commensurate with the offending and we submit the circumstances can persuade you to pass a disqualification as low as possible.

“One of the hallmarks was that this was an incident without incident. It was eight miles per hour over the speed limit, it was during daylight and there were no vehicles in front or behind.

“There was no danger to any other vehicles or people or a high volume of traffic or pedestrians in the vicinity.”

However, bench chair Vanessa Weguelin announced: “The mandatory disqualification is a period of six months.”

Lady Mendes, a trumpet soloist at the BBC’s Last Night of the Proms and one-time principal trumpet of the London Chamber Orchestra, elected not to give evidence and claim ‘exceptional hardship’ to avoid the disqualification.

She was fined £666, with £90 costs and a £266 victim surcharge and received three penalty points on her driving licence.

“As has been pointed out that makes you a totter and you will be disqualified from driving for six months and you will need to reapply for your licence towards the end of the disqualification,” the magistrate told Lady Mendes.