Ex-Arsenal ace & Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson banned from driving after being caught speeding three times in one month
EX-ENGLAND and Arsenal ace Paul Merson has been banned from driving after being convicted of speeding THREE times within a month.
The Sky Sports pundit did 47mph in a 40mph limit on the A316 Great Chertsey Road in Feltham, south west London, on September 9.
Merson, 56, was caught again doing the same speed on the same road just two days later in his silver Volkswagen Touareg.
The retired midfielder was later caught speeding at 57mph in a 50mph stretch of the A316 Country Way in Sunbury on October 1.
The trio of offences within a month came after he was caught driving 60mph in a 50mph limit on the M3 at Thorpe, Surrey, on February 27 last year.
Merse, who also played for Aston Villa, Portsmouth and Middlesbrough, appeared at Guildford Magistrates’ Court today for a disqualification hearing.
He pleaded guilty to all four charges and was banned from driving for six months after receiving 12 penalty points.
The footy playmaker was also fined £2,640, must pay a victim surcharge of £1,056 and prosecution costs of £110 within 28 days.
Chief Magistrate Joan Lindsay admitted his previous driving record was “not great” and warned: “You mustn’t drive on any UK road once you leave court.”
The court heard he already had nine points on his driving licence for speeding twice in 2021 and once in 2022.
Nicholas Maggs, defending, claimed the four new convictions were for “relatively modest” speeds in variable limits.
He claimed disqualification will have a “substantial effect” on his wife, who doesn’t drive, and his family – as Merse does the school run.
The oldest of their three kids, aged three, six and nine, has to travel 45 minutes around four times a week for training and matches at Chelsea’s academy.
He said: “On his behalf, I wish to put forward his remorse for these offences. He accepts it’s not acceptable.
“Through me he apologises to the court for finding himself before the court and finding himself disqualified for driving. It’s going to make things substantially more difficult.
“I’m sure the court will appreciate Mr Merson experienced a number of difficulties in his younger life and has now chosen to use these positively through unpaid speaking events to help younger people from suffering mental health problems.”
The FA Cup winner, of Teddington, south west London, was driven to court in the passenger seat of his four-year-old VW.
Asked if he wanted to comment after the conclusion of the case, Merson, wearing a maroon long-sleeved polo shirt and grey suit trousers, told The Sun: “Absolutely not.”
It comes after the dad-of-eight received a 14-month ban for falling asleep behind the wheel and crashing his Mercedes into a lorry while drink driving on the M40 near Warwick in October 2011.
Merson, praised for going public over his battle with alcohol, drugs and gambling addictions, earned 21 Three Lions caps and went to Euro ‘92 and World Cup ‘98.
He won the old First Division title with the Gooners in 1989 and 1991, before securing an FA Cup and League Cup double in 1993.