The star of the popular TV show The Walking Dead, David Morrissey, has been banned from driving for six months after repeated road offences.
The actor was caught speeding three times last year on UK roads, which triggered an automatic driving ban and hefty penalty.
Mr Morrissey was caught travelling 46mph in a 40mph zone on the A406 North West London in August last year.
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Just two days later, he was caught speeding again, at 55mph and 48mph, in subsequent 40mph zones on August 4 and 5, 2024.
The third speeding case was the final straw for Morrissey, who was handed his punishment at Willesden Magistrates’ Court this week, a year after breaching the law.
Mr Morrissey was hit with a £5,700 fine as well as a six-month driving ban for receiving more than 12 points on his licence in less than two years.
The actor already had nine points on his licence before the speeding offences, which pushed him to exceed the legal limit.
Prosecutor Maya Arputham told the court: “Morrissey should pay the full £1,500 costs for the trial last week, including the fine.”
The Sherwood star had previously denied any wrongdoing, with his representatives stating that “there will be no issue in Morrissey paying the fine”.
However, they did query that the court costs were a “significant amount”, arguing that the trial only took up less than three hours of court time.
In response, District Judge Jack Walsh said: “The sum of £1,500 in court costs appears to me to be eminently reasonable. I have found all three offences proved.
“He is convicted of all three offences. He did not have a clean driving record. The case he put to court was entirely illegitimate, and he had a chance to come to court and give evidence.“
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The judge argued that due to the defendant forcing the prosecution to “pay attention to such close detail to prove his case” would justify him being liable to the full prosecution costs “as a result of adopting that sort of approach”.
Mr Morrissey is the latest UK celebrity to be slapped with a driving ban this year, following Emma Watson and former Harry Potter co-star Zoe Wanamaker.
Ms Watson was banned for six months following a string of driving offences across Oxford last year. She was also ordered to pay a fine of £1,044 after being caught speeding.
The Harry Potter star, who is currently studying for a doctorate at Oxford University, was driving her £30,000 Audi S3 at the time of the speeding incident.
The incident marked Watson’s fourth offence in recent years, with her lawyer, Mark Haslam, saying: “She is in a position to pay the fine.”
Meanwhile, Ms Wanamaker, known for playing Rolanda Hooch in the Harry Potter series as well as roles in Doctor Who and My Family, was given a driving ban after speeding 46mph in a 40mph zone along a section of the M4.
This was her fourth driving offence in two years, which triggered the ban as well as a £660 fine and £364 in costs and surcharges.
Her solicitor, Duncan Jones, told the court that the actress is “not seeking any special treatment” and that she accepts she will be disqualified from driving. District Judge, Arvind Sharma replied: “Ms Wanamaker is disqualified as of today for six months.“