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| Big Shot: Fofana With Bodyguards & Lawyer Imogen Cox |
after he was caught speeding in his powerful Lamborghini on the A3 hard shoulder.
The £70m centre-half - currently serving a two-year disqualification for a total of
eight speeding offences - must also now complete 300 hours of unpaid community service or go to prison.
He pleaded guilty to driving the white Super Sport Utility Vehicle dangerously on April 20 along the A3 Esher Bypass, Hook, Surrey.
Fofana, who lives in a six-bedroom £4.5m detached property with home gym and cinema room within the gated Fairmile Estate, Cobham, Surrey arrived at Staines Magistrates’ Court in an almost military-style operation, including two bodyguards.
Another motorist recorded Fofana’s driving on their dash cam and reported him to the police.
“You obviously realise there are a lot of young people who look up to you and they would like to be like you and follow you. That’s part of the whole gig,” District Judge Julie Cooper told him.
“However, they will not be able to afford these expensive cars, with all their additions that keep them safe and you could have some seventeen year-old, who has just passed their test, who think they can copy you.
“They will not be able to handle their car and do some ridiculous driving manoeuvre and they are dead.
“You need to be much more responsible about your behaviour.”
Wearing a black shirt, black jacket and black cargo trousers Fofana stood in the secure dock and spoke only to give his name, address and date of birth.
Earlier, a bodyguard stood watch near the court entrance well before Fofana and his legal team arrived in a people carrier with a second bodyguard, then repeating same exercise on his departure.
Prosecutor Rabbi Khan told the court it was 4.50pm when the second motorist captured Fofana on camera.
“The witness identified the danger and this defendant was driving on the hard shoulder at speed in a 50mph zone.
“The offence is aggravated by an approaching bend that was sign-posted and he is not indicating when making these manoeuvres.
“He refused to abide by the road rules at speed.”
Last May Fofana was disqualified at Lavender Hill Magistrates Court for speeding offences committed while driving his white 6.7 litre Rolls Royce Cullinan, which retail at approximately £300,000 new.
He was also caught speeding in his blue 4.0 litre Audi and his Lamborghini Urus, which retail from £200,000.
On that occasion he received a whopping thirty-eight penalty points - taking the total on his driving licence to forty-seven.
He has since moved closer to Chelsea FC’s Cobham training ground and his Icklingham Road gated home is just two miles away.
Judge Cooper sentenced Fofana to an eighteen-month Community Order, which includes 300 hours community service and ordered him to pay £85 costs and a £114 victim surcharge.
He was additionally disqualified from driving for 18 months, but is off the road until May 13, 2027 in any event.
“At the end of the disqualification you cannot drive until you pass an extended driving test and if you drive as a disqualified driver you will almost certainly be sent to prison and that is career-ending,” she added.
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| Day Job: Fofana Playing For Chelsea FC |
‘You need to attend your Probation Service appointments on time and comply with their satisfaction.
“If you breach the order you will be back in front of me and I will have no hesitation in sending you to prison.”
Fofana’s lawyer Imogen Cox told the court: “The video speaks for itself, fifteen to twenty seconds of driving that are conceded.
“There is no explanation or excuse for his driving on that day.”
The footage was played in court, showing Fofana undertaking other vehicles at speed, with gasps of disbelief from the occupants of the dash cam car also recorded.
“He attended voluntarily for an interview at Guildford Police Station and apologised for driving and said he had learned a valuable lesson about his driving and had no explanation for his driving on that day,” added Ms Cox.
“This offence pre-dates the speeding offences, which were all within a seven-month period and tied-up at Lavender Hill.
“He is essentially of good character, having no criminal convictions against him.
“He is fit and healthy and able to cary out community work.”
Fofana has started only two Premier League match’s this season; came on as a substitute in another and started one match in both the Champions League and Carabao Cup.
The Marseille-born French national was previously fined a total of £5,328, plus a £2,131 victim surcharge for the Lavender Hill speeding offences.
The injury-plagued star won the 2021 FA Cup with Leicester City, but is regarded as a “sicknote” by Blues fans, having missed the entire 2023-2024 campaign with an ACL knee injury.
He signed a seven-year contract with Chelsea FC in August, 2022.
Fofana was also previously disqualified for six months in January, 2023 for speeding offences.
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