Justin Timberlake told to do unpaid work after drink-driving plea deal

The pop star was ordered to do 25 hours’ community service and pay a $US500 fine, three months after his arrest on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

Justin Timberlake leaves court in Sag Harbor, New York.

Justin Timberlake has been ordered to do 25 hours of community service and pay a fine after agreeing a plea deal on a drink-driving charge.

The pop star, 43, appeared in Sag Harbor court, in the exclusive area of the Hamptons on Long Island, New York, on Friday morning.

He admitted falling short of the “highest standard” he has set himself as he pleaded guilty. Casually dressed in a jumper, pearl necklace and sunglasses, Timberlake was flanked by security who carved a path for him through a media mob outside.

Under a deal with the Suffolk County district attorney’s office, Timberlake admitted a lesser traffic offence in exchange for dropping the original misdemeanour charge. He was ordered to do 25 hours of community service and pay a fine of $US500 (about $745).

“If you have been covering me throughout my life, you know I hold myself to the highest standard,” Timberlake said after the hearing.

“This was not that. I found myself in a position where I could have made a different decision but I have had some time to reflect on that.

“What I’d like to say to everyone watching and listening is that even if you had one drink, don’t get behind the wheel. There’s so many alternatives, call a friend, call an Uber, take a taxi. This is a mistake that I made but I hope everyone watching can [learn from this]. We can be safe out there. I’m going to do my part I hope everyone else does their part.”

Timberlake’s plea marks the end of a case that brought a media frenzy to the village of Sag Harbor, home to about 3000 people.

The singer apologised to locals during the hearing, saying: “I come from a small town so I understand the strain this has put on this community.”

Near the court, a gallery displayed Andy Warhol-inspired prints with Timberlake’s mugshot. “We started selling them about a week and a half after the arrest,” Brandon Hallman, the gallery manager, said. “Over the summer we’ve had lots of people coming say they came to Sag Harbor just to see where Justin Timberlake got arrested.”

Timberlake was stopped by police in the early hours of June 18 after he allegedly drove through a stop sign on his way home from dinner with friends. He was quoted as saying: “I had one martini and I followed my friends home.”

The Times