Chelsea star Callum Hudson-Odoi avoids driving ban after over-speeding

Premier League footballer Callum Hudson-Odoi has avoided a driving ban after explaining he was running late for training when he was caught driving nearly twice the speed limit.

The Chelsea winger, 20, was caught driving at 90mph in a 50mph zone on 6 August on the A3 in south-west London.

Mr Hudson-Odoi admitted speeding.

He was ordered to pay £834 and had six points added to his driver's licence at Lavender Hill Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.

In a statement to the court, Mr Hudson-Odoi explained he was "under considerable pressure from work" and experiencing "personal problems in his life".

Mr Hudson-Odoi's lawyer Oliver Glasgow QC, said: "On his journey to work that day there was a road closure," he said.

"He was expected to arrive at training at a certain time and fearing he would not, he chose to increase his speed.

"What he did was an extremely stupid decision."

Mr Hudson-Odoi, who had three points on his licence from a previous speeding matter, could have faced a driving ban.

Magistrate Gilles Casse said: "It is better to be late than not arrive at all.

"You know very well speeding is a contributory factor to accidents and if you were to have injured yourself or anyone else, the likelihood is being late would have been the least of your worries, so put things in perspective."

The magistrate warned Mr Hudson-Odoi any further speeding offence in the next two to three years would take him to 12 points, resulting in a driving ban for at least six months.

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