Artist News Legal

Tulisa receives driving ban over Ferrari crash

By | Published on Tuesday 5 April 2016

Tulisa

Tulisa Contostavlos has been banned from driving for fifteen months after pleading guilty to drink driving.

As previously reported, the singer was arrested in London last September after she crashed her Ferrari into another car outside Southgate tube station. The former N-Dubz member had reportedly only picked up her £199,000 sports car, which she has since sold, days before the crash. She collided with an elderly couple’s Saab shortly before midnight on 10 Sep and was arrested at the scene after being breathalysed, spending almost 24 hours in custody before being released.

Contostavlos pleaded guilty to drink driving, though a second charge of dangerous driving was dropped by prosecutors as proceedings got under way. The court heard that she had drunk two glasses of wine before the incident, and was travelling on the wrong side of the road at the time of the crash. When interviewed by police, she said that she had been “sleep-driving”.

The singer felt remorse over the incident, her lawyer Kirsty Brimelow told the court, and noted that the incident had been a “minor collision”, adding that Contostavlos had also immediately co-operated with police and admitted that she had drunk alcohol prior to driving. She also said that the singer has placed her career on hold pending this court case, and that a conviction would cause her problems obtaining a work visa in the US, where she is hoping to pursue a film career.

Despite this, the judge said that the nature of the incident warranted a driving ban. Contostavlos was also ordered to pay a £1,000 fine, £85 costs and a victim surcharge of £100.



READ MORE ABOUT: