Ant McPartlin said he is 'ashamed and mortified' at having smashed into two family cars while twice the legal alcohol limit as as he was handed a record £86,000 fine for drink driving today.
As he left court this afternoon, the 42-year-old TV presenter told reporters: 'I let myself down. I let a lot of people down and for that I'm truly sorry.'
Ant was driving his mother through west London when he lost control of his black Mini and ploughed into two a Mini and a BMW last month.
The court heard that a nine-year-old boy who was in the BMW screamed out: 'I'm dying mummy, I'm dying' after the smash. The four-year-old girl in the other Mini needed hospital treatment.
The I'm a Celebrity host - who earns a £130,000-a-week - pleaded guilty to a single charge of drink-driving today and was fined £86,000.
It is thought to be the highest fine ever handed out by a British court for drink driving, topping the £54,000 fine given to footballer Yaya Toure in 2016 for the same offence.
TV presenter Ant McPartlin said he has let himself and his family down and is 'truly sorry' for smashing into two family cars while twice the legal alcohol limit. He was banned from the road and fined £86,000 after he admitted drink driving today
A court sketch of Ant behind the glass-fronted dock at Wimbledon Magistrates Court. He spoke only to confirm his details and plead guilty to drink driving. His lawyer told the court he was struggling with 'alcohol and emotional issues' at the time
Ant was shielded by police as he made his way back past cameras following his court appearance this afternoon
The I'm a Celebrity host gave a brief statement outside court, saying he was 'truly sorry' to those caught up in the crash
McPartlin was also banned from the road for one year and eight months - but could be back behind the wheel in 15 months if he takes a drink drivers' awareness course.
District Judge Barbara Barnes told McPartlin: 'You were struggling with personal problems and issues with alcohol and that had been going on for some months.
'Your level of driving was unacceptable that day. You recognise you have let down so many people, your friends, family and colleagues.'
Asked how long it would take to pay the massive £86,000 fine, McPartlin's barrister said: 'Two to five days'.
Ant's lawyer Liam Walker had told the court: 'Anthony McPartlin is sorry and is doing everything he can to ensure this never happens again.
'He hopes that in time he can make himself better and that he might be forgiven by all of the many people he knows and he feels he has let down terribly.'
The court heard Ant's mother, Christine Woodhall, was in the car with him at the time.
He had been seeking help for 'alcohol and emotional issues' at the time, but was in the midst of 'a brief relapse', which his mother did not know about.
'I let myself down. I let a lot of people down': Ant's statement on court steps
The star wore a black tie as he arrived with a serious look on his face ahead of the hearing
Seven uniformed police officers were at the door of the court to shield the star from cameras as he arrived this afternoon
TV presenter McPartlin pleaded guilty to drink-driving at Wimbledon Magistrates Court following a crash last month
The court heard his mother was in the car with him at the time and did not know he was in a middle of an alcohol 'relapse'
Ant's lawyer also spoke of McPartlin's 'exemplary' character and charitable work, especially focusing on organisations that help children.
He added: 'Mr McPartlin is lucky to have both family and long-time friends to support him.'
In a statement read by his barrister, Ant said: 'I appreciate people in the public eye should provide a positive example. I know the consequences [of the crash] could have been much worse.'
McPartlin was driving around a 'sharp bend and lost control' at which point he ended up on the wrong side of the road, the court heard.
He collided with another Mini Cooper before driving 'straight into the front' of an oncoming BMW.
The driver of a BMW hit said McPartlin's car came round the corner 'like a rocket'.
Faheem Vanoo, the driver of the Mini, said afterwards that he and his family thought they would die in the collision.
He said, in a statement read by prosecutor Ms Sinnett-Jones: 'Myself and my family were in deep shock as we believed we could have died as as a result of Mr McPartlin's reckless driving.'
What are the sentencing guidelines for drink-driving offences?
The star said he was thankful nobody was seriously hurt following the crash which led to a four-year-old girl going to hospital and a nine-year-old boy in another car telling his mother he thought he was dying
His lawyer told the court he was 'ashamed and mortified' about what he had done, and took full responsibility
The I'm A Celebrity host was escorted from his car by police, who held back photographers
The court heard he was more than twice the legal alcohol limit when his Mini ploughed into two other cars in west London
'I'm dying mummy': Doctor reveals her son's trauma after their BMW was hit by Ant McPartlin in drink-drive crash as she says she thought the TV host was DEAD
A nine-year-old boy in a BMW smashed into by Ant McPartlin thought he was dying in the moments after the smash, the court heard today.
A Dr Ng who was driving the BMW which McPartlin's Mini ploughed into when the TV host was drink driving.
A statement by the prosecutor today, Dr Ng said her son was in shock and McPartlin's car deployed three airbags.'
She told the court: 'The black Mini came in the opposite direction far too fast round the bend.
'After colliding with he Mini the car already had a broken left front side had already dropped down and was scraping in the ground as it collided head on with my vehicle.
'I immediately looked over and my son was saying 'I'm dying mummy, I'm dying'. Although he was physically fine, he was clearly in shock.
'As there was no movement from the driver of the black Mini I thought he might have died.
'The driver of the black Mini exited the vehicle I could see he airbags had deployed. It has been distressing for myself and son, both have been in shock.
'As a result of the collision I have not been able to return to work. It had greatly effect my private and work life.'
Ant's black Mini collided head-on with the BMW of a doctor who had her nine-year-old son as a passenger
The court heard Ant's mother, Christine Woodhall, was in the car at the time he crashed. She was unaware he had 'relapsed', the court heard. The pair are pictured together after Ant received an OBE in 2017Friends had previously said he wanted to plead guilty at the first opportunity so that he could put the legal proceedings behind him and move on with his rehab.
The TV star was charged following a car crash in Richmond which left a four-year-old girl in hospital on March 18.
Restaurant owner Faheem Vanoo and his wife Shilpa Dandekar were travelling with their daughter Amaira when their green Mini was involved in a head-on collision with another Mini driven by the presenter.
Amaira was taken to West Middlesex Hospital in Isleworth by her parents for a check up and was not kept in overnight for any treatment
TV crew capture three-car smash outside Ant crash court case as media await star's statement
A car crash was caught live on television as a BBC crew reported from outside Ant McPartlin's court hearing into his drink-drive collision.
As reporter Alison Freeman carries out a broadcast from Wimbledon Magistrates' Court, a three-vehicle prang occurs behind her, causing two loud bangs.
The driver of a blue Nissan, thought to be distracted by the crowds outside the courts, slams into the back of a Peugeot, which in turn smashes into a van in front.
Ms Freeman quickly spins round before apologising to those watching for the interruption, as a car with a severely damaged bonnet continues along the road.
She then tells viewers: 'Sorry, but as you can tell with the media outside it has been very busy out here.'
BBC News reporter Alison Freeman was broadcasting from outside Wimbledon Magistrates Court when a crash happened behind her
A blue Toyota hit the back of black 4x4, which collided with a white van as the media assembled outside the courtroom
The Saturday Night Takeaway host arrived with a large entourage, including bodyguards
McPartlin was driven to the court appearance in a black mini-van after the crash last month
There was a large number of TV crews and photographers awaiting the TV star this morning
Speaking in the days after the crash, victim Mr Vanoo said: 'His Mini came flying around a sharp corner on the wrong side of the road trying to overtake a blue car. I hardly had time to react and turned in towards the kerb to avoid a head-on collision.
'I'm convinced that split-second turn of the wheel saved us all from being crippled or killed. I reckon he was doing 50 or 60mph.'
He added: 'The horn of his car was blaring and my little girl was crying in shock. It was a terrible, chaotic scene.'
'The whole experience has just been a nightmare,' Faheem told MailOnline shortly after the crash.
'It is not something that we ever expected, but we are just grateful that no one was hurt.
'It has been a terrible experience and it feels like we are coming out of a nightmare. It has left us all a bit shaken up.'
McPartlin spent almost ten hours in police custody following a collision between his Mini and two other cars after he took his dog for a walk in Richmond Park.
The TV star, 42, was charged with drink-driving in last month following a car crash in South West London (pictured)
Photos from the scene show Ant's car (covered a blue sheeting) and the red BMW and green Mini hit hit at the side of the road
Faheem Vanoo and Shilpa Dandekar and their family were in the other car in the crash
No comments:
Post a Comment