Ian Brown escapes driving ban
Ian Brown escaped a potential driving ban after telling a court he needed to go shopping for his elderly parents.
The Stone Roses star – who faced disqualification from driving under the totting up procedure after being spotted doing 37mph in a 30mph zone – successfully fought the case by arguing that a ban would be an "inconvenience" and claiming he needed his Lexus in order to attend music rehearsals.
Of Ian’s elderly parents – who live eight miles away from his home in Cheshire, England – his lawyer Paul Reddy told magistrates: "They are both elderly and immobile. It falls to Mr Brown to look after them. He spends the days doing errands, doing their shopping."
He added, according to The Sun on Sunday newspaper: "He is rehearsing in the middle of nowhere and is one of four who need to be there.
"At the very least it would inconvenience these people."
In light of the statements, Ian was handed three driving points, bringing him to 12.
However, he was not banned from the road after the court agreed that the iconic rocker might suffer "exceptional hardship" if that were the case.
Additionally, Ian was told he must pay a £200 fine and £150 following his guilty plea.
The decision has already received strong criticism from road safety campaigners in the UK, who feel Ian ought to have been banned from driving.
Jack Kushner, a spokesman for the group Brake, said: "It makes a mockery of the system if drivers who rack up 12 points aren’t banned."
