British rapper Stormzy, whose real name is Michael Ebenezer Owuo Junior, has been handed a nine-month driving ban following a traffic violation involving his £225,000 Rolls-Royce Wraith.
The decision came after Stormzy, 31, pleaded guilty via a letter to using his mobile phone while driving on Addison Road, West Kensington, on March 7, 2024.
Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court heard that an undercover police officer witnessed the artist using his phone behind the wheel. The officer knocked on Stormzy’s tinted passenger window and reportedly told him to “get rid of your tints and get off your phone.”
Prosecutor Alice Holloway explained that the off-duty officer spotted Stormzy using the device despite the heavy window tinting.
“Although the windows were tinted, the officer could clearly see him on the phone,” Holloway stated. She also revealed that video footage of the incident was automatically recorded by the officer.
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In court, District Judge Andrew Sweet described the rapper’s actions as “dangerous and irresponsible,” issuing the driving ban and fining him £2,010, the judge noted that Stormzy’s driving record was already tarnished, with six penalty points on his licence before the latest incident.
This isn’t the first time Stormzy has faced legal challenges over his driving. In October 2023, he pleaded guilty to driving a Lamborghini Urus with illegally tinted windows in Kingston upon Thames.
Regulations stipulate that front and side windows must let at least 70% of light through, but Stormzy’s car allowed just 4%, creating a potential safety hazard.
Peter Csemiczky, Stormzy’s defense lawyer, stated that the musician fully accepts responsibility for his actions and has since removed the illegal tinting.
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