Former Top Gear host Richard Hammond fined for speeding

Former Top Gear host Richard Hammond was fined £999 for speeding twice in three weeks.

The TV presenter, 56, was clocked at 68mph in a 50mph zone on the A40 in Pencraig, Herefordshire, in his Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo on December 2 last year.

He was caught speeding again just 20 days later while driving his Bentley Continental GT, reaching 82mph in a 70mph zone on the A50 Rudhall Overbridge in Herefordshire.

West Mercia Police brought two prosecutions against Hammond and spent weeks sending letters to his various multi-million-pound homes.

They eventually tracked him to his £2 million mansion near Abergavenny in Wales, where more than 30 vehicles are currently registered.

Hammond, best known for co-hosting Top Gear and The Grand Tour, 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 licence and he was ordered to pay £1,771 in total - two fines of £333 and £666, £240 in costs and victim surcharges reaching £532.

West Mercia Police withdrew two extra charges that he had ignored their letters and failed to identify himself as the guilty driver.

Hammond's solicitor previously denied the charges, telling the court in a letter: "He replied identifying himself as the driver. He sent the reply by First Class post. He posted the reply himself."

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Hammond was among 39 defendants who were convicted of driving offences during the court session on 22 July.

In 2006, Hammond suffered brain injuries after crashing a jet-propelled car while travelling at close to 300mph.

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