Former Top Gear host Richard Hammond was fined £999 for speeding twice in three weeks while driving his Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo and Bentley Continental GT, according to multiple reports. The 56-year-old was caught driving at 68mph in a 50mph zone on the A40 in Pencraig, Herefordshire, on December 2 last year. Then, just 20 days later, he was caught speeding again at 82mph in a 70mph zone on the A50 Rudhall Overbridge in Herefordshire.
Key Takeaways
Former Top Gear host Richard Hammond was fined £999 for speeding twice in three weeks while driving his Porsche and Bentley. He pleaded guilty to two charges of speeding and received seven penalty points on his license.
- Hammond was caught driving 68mph in a 50mph zone on December 2nd last year.
- He was again caught speeding at 82mph in a 70mph zone on December 22nd last year.
- Magistrate Ann Minton ordered him to pay a total of £1,771 including fines and costs.
- Police withdrew additional charges after Hammond's solicitor denied failing to identify himself as the driver.
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▼Source Claims Check
High ConsensusAll 3 publishers report consistent facts across 3 key claims.
| Claim | Status | Reason | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding Incidents | Broad Agreement | 2 speeding incidents in December | |
| Fines And Penalties | Broad Agreement | $999 fine, 7 penalty points on license | |
| Vehicles Involved | Broad Agreement | Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo and Bentley Continental GT |
Speeding Incidents
Broad Agreement2 speeding incidents in December
Fines And Penalties
Broad Agreement$999 fine, 7 penalty points on license
Vehicles Involved
Broad AgreementPorsche Taycan Cross Turismo and Bentley Continental GT
This analysis is AI-generated and may not perfectly represent each source's reporting. Always read the original articles for full context.
West Mercia Police brought two prosecutions against Hammond and spent weeks trying to track him down by sending letters to his multimillion-pound properties. According to The Guardian, police sent speeding tickets to a Grade II*-listed Herefordshire castle and a £1 million farm estate, but the letters were returned marked as 'addressee gone away'. They eventually tracked him down to his £2 million mansion near Abergavenny in Wales.
Hammond pleaded guilty through his lawyers to two charges of speeding at Telford Magistrates' Court last week. Magistrate Ann Minton handed him seven penalty points for his license and ordered him to pay a total of £1,771, comprising two fines of £333 and £666, £240 in costs, and victim surcharges totaling £532. According to Daily Mail, Hammond was also accused of another driving offense in August last year but the charges were withdrawn.
The presenter, nicknamed 'The Hamster' by his TV co-stars, nearly died in a 320mph jet car crash in 2006 while filming Top Gear, and he received a three-month driving ban in France in 2013 after being caught speeding with Jeremy Clarkson. Hammond's solicitor denied the additional charges of ignoring police letters and failing to identify himself as the driver, stating that he had replied identifying himself as the driver.
How this summary was created
This summary synthesizes reporting from 3 independent publishers using AI. All sources are cited and linked below. NewsBalance is a news aggregator and media literacy tool, not a news publisher. AI-generated content may contain errors or inaccuracies — always verify important information with the original sources.