Blue singer Lee Ryan has told a court that he “just doesn’t have the money” to pay a £1,500 fine.
Last year, Ryan was charged with twice driving a Mercedes at 70mph in a 60mph limit in Peterborough. The charges were later dismissed, but the singer was found guilty after a trial of failing to provide information about the driver of the car.
Appearing in court via Zoom – from his current base in Spain – Ryan said that he was unable to afford the £1,500 fine due to the pandemic.
“I just don’t have the money,” Ryan said. “I’m not working. I mean, they’ve stopped the gigs. I don’t have any gigs.”
When the judge suggested that gigs are occurring in the UK despite the pandemic, Ryan replied: “I’ve not got anything. I haven’t got anything.”
The Blue star also said that he had spent his savings during the pandemic.
Ryan’s original speeding charges were dismissed as the prosecution could not prove who was driving the car at the time of the incidents.
Going to trial for two counts of failing to give information about the identity of the driver, Ryan insisted that he did provide police with the information they asked for.
In court, Ryan was disqualified from driving for 12 months, while he was ultimately charged with just one offence by the magistrate, who took into account that the music industry has been “severely hit” by the pandemic.
