Shane Warne loses driver’s licence in the UK

The former Aussie cricketing legend has landed in hot water in the UK over a series of speeding offences.

Shane Warne has been stripped of his driver’s licence in the UK after he dropped an appeal against a string of speeding offences.

The cricketer was due to have his case heard in a London court on Friday night Australian time.

But his lawyers dropped the case at the last minute, according to Kingston Crown Court in the southwest of London.

Warne, 51, had been in the UK in August to cover the English cricket season for Sky Sports.

But he was able to drive then because his lawyers had appealed that losing his licence would be an “exceptional hardship”.

He had collected 18 points on his driver’s licence for speeding offences – six more than the 12 usually allowed in Britain.

Warne, who was unavailable for comment on Friday night, was caught doing 75km/h in a 64 km/h zone in Kensington in August 2018.

He was driving a hired Jaguar at the time when he was clocked by a speed camera.

That triggered the courts to catch up, after some of his earlier driving points were added together and led to the ban.

He was ordered to pay a $A3400 fine in Wimbledon magistrates court last year.

Shane Warne, 51, had been in the UK in August to cover the English cricket season. Picture: Getty Images

But Warne, who owns a property in Maida Vale in west London, appealed the decision in July this year, allowing him to get back on the road.

Judge John Lodge agreed to temporarily restore Warne’s licence until his appeal which was due to be heard at Kingston Crown Court on Friday night Australian time.

But the court confirmed that Warne’s appeal has now been withdrawn.

Warne ran up 15 penalty points on his licence for five offences between April 2016 and August 2017 without being banned.

Deputy District Judge Adrian Turner said when he was imposing the 12-month ban to reflect Warne’s record of offences.

“The purpose of disqualification is to protect the public and to deter,” he said.

“Mr Warne has now committed six speeding offences, and it may be that none on their own are particularly serious. But this is a case which plainly calls for a disqualification period in excess of six months.”

Warne, who has a property in Maida Vale, west London, pleaded guilty to one count of speeding at the magistrates’ court.

The Australian cricketer has been closely following the AFL and NRL grand finals on social media in the past week.

He also hit the headlines when he responded to comments from West Indies cricket Marlon Samuels, who took aim at Warne and English cricketer Ben Stokes this week.

Samuels went on a bizarre rant against Warne while promoting his perfume range.

“I’ve just been sent what Samuels has posted re Ben Stokes & I,” Warne tweeted.

“It’s a very sad situation as he obviously needs serious help – but has no friends at all & not even his ex teammates like him.

“Just because you were an ordinary cricketer-no need to be an ordinary person. Get help son.”

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Originally published as Shane Warne loses driver’s licence in the UK