Harry Maguire banned from driving for 56 days after admitting speeding

By Eleanor Barlow, PA

Manchester United player Harry Maguire has been disqualified from driving for 56 days and ordered to pay £1,052 (€1,260) after he admitted driving at 85mph in a 50mph limit.

The 31-year-old was caught speeding twice in a three-day period last March, Bolton Magistrates’ Court in England heard on Wednesday.

Maguire did not appear for the sentencing but solicitor Gwyn Lewis appeared on his behalf.

The court heard the footballer was captured on camera driving his Range Rover at 85mph coming out of a tunnel on Wilmslow Road, under the runway of Manchester Airport, on March 5th last year.

Prosecutor Karen Allanson said Maguire was the registered keeper of the car and admitted being the driver.

She said: “We were unable to offer the defendant a fixed penalty due to the high speed.”

He pleaded guilty to the offence on October 2, the court heard.

Mr Lewis said: “Of course the speed is wholly excessive and I fully accept that.”

He said Maguire was a “wealthy individual” and would be able to pay a fine within 28 days.

Mr Lewis said Maguire did not mean any disrespect by not attending court.

He added: “Obviously, the fact is he is a public figure. He is a footballer.”

The stretch of road Maguire was caught speeding on was a dual carriageway with no pavement, Mr Lewis said.

The court heard that at the time of the offence he had three penalty points on his licence, relating to an offence on March 16th, 2021.

On March 7th last year, two days after the incident, he was caught speeding again and had since received three penalty points, Mr Lewis said.

He added: “He was offered a speed awareness course but unfortunately because he was away from this country in the summer he wasn’t able to take up the course.”

If magistrates had handed Maguire six points for the Wilmslow Road offence he could have faced a longer ban.

Chairman of the bench Mark Hardman said: “We are prepared to exercise our discretion due to Mr Maguire being out of the country and not being able to take part in his speeding course.”

He fined Maguire £666 and ordered him to pay £120 costs and a £266 surcharge.

Mr Lewis said he had already advised Maguire not to drive.

Five members of the press were in court for the hearing, which lasted about 20 minutes.

Maguire, who missed a chance to score a winner against Liverpool at the weekend, was due to be out of contract with Manchester United this summer but last week the club confirmed it would trigger the option to keep him for a further season.

The defender, from Sheffield, signed for Manchester United in 2019 and held the role of captain from 2020 until 2023.