Chelsea FC’s Wesley Fofana got himself banned from driving for a solid two years today after getting a whopping 47 points on his licence due to speeding offences in his fancy cars. This £70m centre-back managed to rack up eight additional driving offences in three different vehicles, all while already having nine points on his licence. As a result, he ended up with a total of thirty-eight penalty points on his driving record, bringing the grand total to forty-seven. The 24-year-old French national, born in Marseille, was a no-show at Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court and was hit with a hefty fine of £5,328, along with a £2,131 victim surcharge. On top of that, he was ordered to pay £110 in costs and given a tight deadline of fourteen days to cough up the entire sum.
The Chairperson of the Bench, John Soones, didn’t hold back, stating, ‘The minimum disqualification today is twelve months, but we take into account the fact he is a habitual speeder, with access to powerful motorcars, who speeds at nearly double the speed limit.’ Fofana’s collection of speeding offences included five incidents while driving his white 6.7 litre Rolls Royce Cullinan, two in his blue 4.0 litre Audi, and one in his Lamborghini Urus. The majority of the speeding violations occurred in a 50mph zone on the A3 Esher bypass, a route Fofana frequently used to travel between his home and the club’s training ground in Cobham, Surrey. The court heard about instances where Fofana was caught driving at 77mph, 68mph, 90mph, 88mph, and 67mph on various dates, all well above the speed limit.
Fofana’s legal team, led by Imogen Cox, highlighted that he is aware of his wrongdoings and acknowledged the impending disqualification from driving. The young footballer, who lives in a lavish £2.8m seven-bedroom house in Kingston-upon-Thames, near rapper Stormzy, signed a lengthy contract with Chelsea FC in 2022. Despite his earnings exceeding the court’s £1,000-a-week limit for fine calculations, Fofana found himself in a precarious situation due to his repeated speeding offences. The court was informed that Fofana had previously been disqualified for six months in January 2023 for similar offences and already had nine points on his licence before the recent string of violations. In a statement, Cox mentioned that Fofana was remorseful for his actions and had pledged not to drive past 9.30 am on the day of the court hearing.
Fofana’s struggles with injuries and limited playing time added to the saga, with the defender making only a handful of appearances in the Premier League this season. His on-field setbacks coupled with the off-field driving misdemeanors painted a troubling picture for the promising talent. Despite the legal repercussions and public scrutiny, Fofana’s team emphasized his commitment to rectifying his behavior and adhering to road regulations in the future. The road ahead for Fofana seems challenging, both in terms of his driving privileges and his football career, as he navigates through this period of uncertainty and reflection.
