Premier League footballer Alejandro Garnacho has been convicted of speeding away from Manchester United’s training ground in his high-powered Audi just days before he left the club.
The 21-year-old winger was behind the wheel of his black Audi RS 3 when he triggered a speed camera close to United’s Carrington facility in Greater Manchester.
The incident, when Garnacho was driving at 50mph in a 40mph zone, happened on August 26 last year, four days before he signed for Chelsea in a £40 million deal.
Through lawyers, Garnacho pleaded guilty to speeding at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court, and issued an apology saying he is “embarrassed” by the incident.
“Mr Garnacho accepts that he committed the offence of exceeding the speed limit and has pleaded guilty to the offence,” his lawyers at JMW Solicitors wrote.
“Mr Garnacho explains this was an oversight on his part and apologises for the offence.
“Our Client is embarrassed that he is currently in this position and apologises to the Court for the excess speed offence.”
Garnacho was also charged with failing to respond to a Greater Manchester Police letter about the speeding offence, when he was asked to identify the driver of his car in October last year.
However that offence was withdrawn after Garnacho pleaded guilty to speeding.
Magistrate Jane Haynes sentenced the footballer to a £660 fine, with an order to pay £120 in costs and a £264 victim surcharge.
Garnacho was also issued with three penalty points on his licence.
The Argentine international came through the Manchester United academy, but left the club after falling out of favour under former boss Ruben Amorim.
He has made 36 appearances since switching to Chelsea, scoring seven goals.
Court papers show the footballer was caught on a speed camera at 5.51pm on August 26 on Carrington Lane, near to the entrance to United’s training ground and academy complex.
The police computer system recorded that someone logged in to see the evidence in the case after Garnacho had been twice written to about the speeding incident.
However the force said he did not respond to the letters to confirm that he had been at the wheel of the car, which has a starting price of more than £61,000.
Once the prosecution had begun, Garnacho’s lawyers wrote in to say: “We respectfully invite the current charge of failing to provide driver information to be withdrawn and Mr Garnacho confirms he is to enter a guilty plea to the original offence of exceeding the speed limit, at 50 miles per hour in a 40 miles per hour location.
“If the Court and Police Prosecution accede to the above, in accordance with our Client’s instructions, we formally enter a guilty plea on behalf of Mr Garnacho to the offence of exceeding the speed limit.”
Garnacho was convicted and sentenced in a hearing conducted last week behind closed doors under the Single Justice Procedure.
