Jermaine Pennant avoids driving ban after admitting uninsured driving

Former Arsenal player Jermaine Pennant has avoided a driving ban after admitting to driving without insurance. The 43-year-old ex-winger was pulled over by police on the A406 eastbound on 2 September last year while driving his Audi A5 S Line.

Pennant admitted the offence at Highbury Magistrates' Court. He was handed a six-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay a £26 victim surcharge. The conditional discharge means Pennant will keep his driving licence, provided he does not commit any further offences within the six-month period.

Special reasons cited

District judge Vanessa Lloyd decided not to disqualify Pennant, citing special reasons for the decision. Pennant told the court that his previous insurance policy had expired on 1 September. He stated he was shopping for a new policy when his partner, who had broken her foot, asked him to collect her from hospital.

He explained that he had purchased a one-day insurance policy approximately 10 minutes before being stopped by police. However, he had not realised that the policy would not take effect immediately. Pennant insisted he was attempting to open the insurance app to show officers he had cover, rather than purchasing it at that moment, as suggested by the prosecution.

Pennant, who had initially denied the offence, changed his plea after his insurance company clarified that the policy did not activate instantly. He told the court he had "messed up by 10 minutes" but understood the necessity of following rules.

Judge Lloyd stated that Pennant would not have points added to his licence because he had been "misled" by his insurance app and genuinely believed the policy was active. This case comes more than 20 years after Pennant served a one-month prison sentence for a drink-driving conviction. At 22, he became the first Premier League footballer to play a match while wearing an electronic tag, appearing for Birmingham City 48 hours after his release.