Nottingham Forest player Henri Lansbury banned for driving after hitting 115mph on A1M

A Nottingham Forest footballer has been banned from driving for six months after he was caught speeding at 115mph.
Henri Lansbury in action for Nottingham Forest.Henri Lansbury in action for Nottingham Forest.
Henri Lansbury in action for Nottingham Forest.

Henri Lansbury, 24, who has also played Premier League football for Arsenal as well as at Scunthorpe United, Watford, Norwich City, West Ham United and for England at U21 level, said he was “sorry” as he appeared at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court this morning, (Wednesday).

The magistrates’ heard Lansbury, who wore the captain’s armband in a friendly last night, flashed past an unmarked police car on February 2 this year at well over 100mph on the A1 motorway just south of Peterborough. This was the third time Lansbury had been caught speeding since he bought his Bentley Continental GT last September.

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Giles Beaumont, prosecuting, said: “It was Monday February 2 at about 10am. An officer was on duty on the northbound carriageway of the A1(M) travelling at about 80mph. The traffic was light and weather conditions were good.

“He was overtaken by a Bentley, which shook the officer’s car.

“The officer caught up with the Bentley, which had averaged 115mph over 0.6 of a mile.

“Lansbury has six points on his licence, after being caught speeding on September 3 and February 4 - two days after this incident.”

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He said the points from the September and February 4 incident were already on Lansbury’s licence after being dealt with by fixed penalty notices.

Bennedict Peers, defending, said: “He has entered a guilty plea straight away, and would like to apologise to the police and the court for what he has done. He knows he should have known better.

“He says he was stupid and has let himself down.

“It was a vehicle he purchased himself in September to celebrate a new position.

“He is a fairly young driver, and had not driven anything that powerful before.”

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Mr Peers said Lansbury was now selling the car, and once the ban has finished will be driving a less powerful Mercedes.

He will rely on a friend to drive him about until the end of the ban.

The court heard he relied on his car to get to matches and training, as well as to see his family in London.

District Judge Ken Sheraton, sentencing, said; “I know that stretch of road well. Quite a lot of people have been caught speeding there, though not many at 115mph.

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“It is a speed where I would have considered imposing a ban for the speed itself, but you already have six points on your licence, so you are banned for totting.”

He has been banned from driving for six months, given six points on his licence and was ordered to pay a £1,500 fine, a £120 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.