Celebrity Gogglebox star Bez’s bizarre excuse when he was caught recklessly driving his Bentley on motorway
CELEBRITY Gogglebox star Bez made a bizarre excuse when he was caught recklessly driving his Bentley.
The Happy Mondays star was speeding up to 90mph in his Bentley Continental when he cut up an unmarked cop car – forcing them to slam on the breaks.
Two officers gave chase northbound up the M56, watching in horror as the 80s dance icon undertook cars and stormed through speed restricted roadworks.
The dancer – renowned for his maracas and wild stage antics before going on to star on Celebrity Gogglebox – then cut across all three lanes of the motorway.
He lurched in front of a white van and charged down a slip road at junction five near Manchester Airport on January 3 this year.
A court heard that at this point the Hallelujah star, 58, was travelling at around 85 to 90mph.
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Cops finally managed to stop Bez – who recently wed – after a 13-minute pursuit, asking why he was driving so dangerously.
Bez – real name Mark Berry – told cops he thought “some kind of weirdo” was chasing him so he had to speed up to “get away”.
On Friday, he was found guilty of driving without due care and attention at Warrington Magistrates’ Court and fined £1,009, the Knutsford Guardian reported.
Bez – who appears alongside ex-bandmate Shaun Ryder in Channel 4’s Celebrity Gogglebox – must also pay a victim surcharge of £101 and costs of £400.
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Following the hearing, senior district crown prosecutor Neil Colville, of CPS Mersey-Cheshire, said: “It is lucky that someone was not hurt as he was driving at speed and carelessly.
“The fact that he cut across a car that was being driven by a police officer is fortuitous.
“Some people think the laws of the land do not apply to them.
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“Speed limits and road regulations are there to protect us all.
“Mark Berry chose to ignore them. He has been found guilty and has only himself to blame.”