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Legal
Sugababe banned from driving
By CMU Editorial | Published on Monday 11 October 2010
Sugababe Amelle Berrabah was banned from driving for fourteen months last week following that recent drink driving charge. The ban was instigated despite the popstress’s protestations that she was far too famous to use public transport.
In its coverage, the Daily Mail took much delight in photographing the zero people who had shown up to support the “too famous to use the bus” Babe outside Highbury Corner Magistrates Court last week, contrasting it with the thousands of fans who showed up when George Michael faced his DUI charges last month. It may come from the Mail, but it was still quite a funny observation.
Despite previously denying tabloid reports that she had got into her car drunk after a row with her boyfriend, in court it turned out Berrabah had, erm, got into her car drunk after a row with her boyfriend.
Police had already been called after neighbours heard the Babe and her other half having a rather noisy slanging match. But when they got there, Berrabah told officers the argument was over and that she’d called a cab and would soon be leaving. Said cab duly arrived, so police let the pop star be. But then, for some reason, she was seen an hour later by the same neighbours leaving the same building in her own car. They shopped her to the police who stopped the singer on Camden High Street and breathalysed her.
In court, Berrabah’s lawyer said the singer was full of remorse for the drink driving. He told the judge: “She realises this is an exceptionally silly thing to have done. She is exceptionally sorry for her actions. She realises it was wrong, she realises she has let herself down, and her family”.
Despite the remorse, and the dismissal of bus travel, the judge pressed ahead with the fourteen month driving ban, saying Amelle would have to use taxis if buses were really out of the question. He added that if she completed a drink driving rehab programme she could actually drive again as soon as next August.
