LEE Ryan tried to blame his speeding offences on his girlfriend – and said he can’t pay a £1,500 fine as he “spent all his cash during the Covid pandemic”.
The former boyband heart-throb 38, clashed with justices as they found him guilty of failing to tell cops who was driving his white Mercedes 4X4 when it was twice caught by speed cameras last year.
The All Rise singer appeared at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court via remote link from his home in Spain on Thursday, where he was disqualified from driving for 12 months and fined £660.
The star said that he was “out of work at the moment due to Covid“, after being ordered to pay £1,501 in total, including court costs.
Ryan told the court that his girlfriend Verity Morley, 31, had use of his vehicle “because she was going up and down the country in the car with her job”.
He added: “I gave her my car because I thought it was safer than her own.”
He also said that Verity was responsible for the two speeding offences and had received points on her licence for them after they informed authorities.
When asked whether he had any savings, Ryan told justices that he had “spent all my savings in Covid”.
Ryan, whose early 2000s boyband sold more than 14 million records worldwide, added: “I haven’t got that money.
“I just don’t have any money. I’m not working.
“They stopped the gigs so I don’t have any. They’ve stopped everything because of the pandemic.”
One magistrate responded: “Well they [gigs] are [on] in this country.”
Ryan replied: “Well I haven’t got anything.”
He relocated to Spain last November with girlfriend Verity.
Court papers said he was charged with driving a Mercedes at 70mph in a 60mph limit on an A-road in Peterborough on August 8, 2020, and driving a Mercedes at 71mph on the same road on August 22 last year.
However these charges were dismissed as the prosecution offered no evidence due to there being no means of proving who was driving.
Ryan went on trial for two counts of failing to give information relating to the identification of the driver when required, and was found guilty by magistrates.
The singer, who insisted that he had sent off the required information, was told if the money is not paid he could be brought back to court and sent to prison.
The prosecution argued that Ryan was referring to a separate speeding offence on September 5 and that the August offences were unaccounted for.
A frustrated Ryan told the court he only found out he was due to appear in court when he read about the charges in tabloid newspapers.
Alison Marsh, Presiding Justice, said it is accepted that Ryan was the owner of a Mercedes in August and September last year and that he did not advise the DVLA of changes of address in 2020.
She said: “It is disputed that you responded to the request for details of the driver speeding on the 8th of August and the 22nd of August 2020.
“The defendant agreed that he had not advised the DVLA of his changes of address in 2020, which is a legal requirement.
“We feel he has confused Verity’s speeding in his car on the 5th September 20, which she received points in March this year, with these offences, and we conclude he has failed to provide information relating to the driver’s identity on the 8th August and the 22nd August 20 as legally required to do.”
She said she accepted it may not have been a “deliberate act”, but noted the legal requirement that the DVLA has a correct and up-to-date address for you applies to everyone.
“We therefore find you guilty,” she added.
Mrs Marsh gave Ryan two lots of six points against his licence, resulting in a disqualification from driving for 12 months.
Ryan said: “I got brought up in court for speeding that was already given points to someone else [his girlfriend Verity].
“Where’s the justice in that? Has there been some kind of mishap or something that’s gone wrong?
“I promise you on my life I did send it off because if I didn’t then she wouldn’t have the points on her licence.”
Aside from being banned from driving for 12 months, Ryan was also ordered to return his licence to the UK.
He was told the fine must be paid within 12 months and could be paid in instalments.
The Celebs Go Dating star was banned from driving for six months last August after being caught speeding twice.
The singer was first caught doing 85mph in a Mercedes on the M1 motorway near Sheffield in May 2019.
He was then clocked speeding at 58mph in a 50mph zone in Eltham, South London, less than 12 weeks later.
Ryan was previously banned from getting behind the wheel for two years in 2014 after he was spotted driving a pal’s Audi erratically in the early hours of the morning.
His third ban comes days after the proud dad shared a first picture with his baby daughter, after becoming a father for the third time.
Ryan was enjoying a family day out in Marbella, alongside girlfriend Verity and his other daughter, Bluebell, whom he shares with with ex-girlfriend Jessica Keevil.
He captioned the sweet family shot: “Lunch with my girls”
The singer also has son Rayn, 12, with former fiancee Samantha Miller.
