An 'ashamed and mortified' Ant McPartlin asked to pay a hefty fine after he confesses to drinking and driving
Ant McPartlin pleaded guilty to drink driving and told the court that he was 'ashamed and mortified' by a three-car crash that left a four-year-old girl in the hospital, according to Mirror. When Ant first arrived at Wimbledon Magistrates Court to answer the single charge he looked stressed.
The 'Saturday Night Takeaway' host was found to be twice the legal limit when his car crashed with another on March 18. His mother, Christine Woodhall had been sitting on the passenger seat when the accident took place. After pleading guilty, the court declared that he had to pay a fine of £86,000 and has been banned from driving for 20 months. Prosecutor Katie Sinnett-Jones told Wimbledon Magistrates' Court on Monday that the incident took place at around 3.50pm.
It is then that Ant drove his Mini around a "sharp bend and lost control" and later ended up on the wrong side of the road. He collided with another Mini Cooper before driving "straight into the front of an oncoming car". Ant's vehicle "came to a halt and was no longer driveable due to the damage caused", she said and it was people who were present during the incident who called the police.
The court gave a chance to hear restaurant boss Faheem Vanoo, the driver of the other Mini. He recalled that he and his family felt like they were going to die in the collision. In a statement read by Katie, he said: "Myself and my family were in deep shock as we believed we could have died as a result of Mr. McPartlin's reckless driving."
His wife Shilpa suffered a split lip while their four-year-old daughter Amaira was subsequently taken to West Middlesex Hospital in Isleworth. Faheem described the whole experience as 'a nightmare'. Ant apologized to the police for his behavior in a statement. "I'm very sorry I did this. I'm ashamed and mortified that this happened," he said. Meanwhile, his defense barrister Liam Walker told the court that he had suffered a 'brief relapse' which was unbeknownst to his mum.
"Anthony McPartlin is sorry. He is doing everything he can so this never happens again. He hopes that in time he can make himself better and he might be forgiven by all the people he feels he has let down so terribly," Liam said. He added that Ant was trying to come to terms with the collapse of his marriage and has been getting treatment for "alcohol and emotional issues". Following this, Ant will be taking a break from entertainment and seeking help.