A Norwich City footballer has spoken of his relief of being found not guilty of a driving-related offence.
At Norwich Magistrates' Court yesterday midfielder Anthony McNamee was found not guilty of failing to give information relating to the identification of a driver of a vehicle who was alleged to have been guilty of an offence.
After the case, McNamee, 26, and of Ashman Bank, Geoffrey Watling Way, Norwich, said: 'I am just happy it is over. It has been a long time. I have never had to do anything like this before, but it is all alright now.'
In court Philip Alcock, prosecuting, said that on March 23 on the Thetford-bound carriageway of the A11 at Besthorpe, near Attleborough, a BMW triggered a speed camera because it was travelling at 93mph in a 70mph zone.
He said a notice of intended prosecution was sent out to McNamee, the registered keeper of the car, to his London address, asking for him to give the details of the driver. He said McNamee replied by saying he was the registered keeper of the car but he was not able to say who the driver was on that occasion.
Mr Alcock said: 'Nice though the young man is, I do not think he made a very strenuous effort to find out who the driver was.'
McNamee, who had denied the offence, told the court he could not have been the driver because he was at the football training ground when the BMW triggered the speed camera.
He said three of his friends had been visiting him for a few days but when he asked them who had been driving the car they all said it was not them.
He asked the police for photographic evidence but said he could not be sure who the driver was from the picture.
Liam Walker, defending, described McNamee as a disciplined athlete of good character, and he said he had explored every avenue available to him to find out who was driving the car. He said McNamee had no motive to play games with the court. He added that it would have been easier for McNamee to have taken the points than appear in court in front of the media.
Martin Cliffe, chairman of the bench, told McNamee: 'We are going to take the view that you did everything you could to find out who was driving your car and therefore we are finding you not guilty.'
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