Happy Mondays star Bez has been fined after cutting across an unmarked police car on the motorway. Officers followed the Salford-born maraca shaker's Bentley for 13 minutes and watched him reach speeds of 90mph as he drove along the M56.
The 58-year-old, whose real name is Mark Berry, told cops that he had sped up to "get away" as he thought he was being followed by "some kind of weirdo". At Warrington Magistrates’ Court, he was fined £1,009 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £101, as well as costs of £400.
Three points have been also been added to his licence after he was found guilty of driving without due care and attention, following a trial.
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The Crown Prosecution Service said he was driving his Bentley Continental car on the northbound carriageway near junction five on January 3, when he offended. Two police officers patrolling in an unmarked car decided to follow him after he cut across their vehicle, forcing them to brake, it was said.
They witnessed the defendant undertaking other cars and driving at excessive speeds through speed restricted roadworks, the court heard. He then cut across all three lanes of the motorway, in front of a white van, to leave the motorway at junction five. At this point, he was travelling at around 85 to 90mph.
The officers stopped the vehicle on the off-ramp of junction five and spoke to Bez. By this time, they had been following him for around 13 minutes.
Following the hearing, senior district crown prosecutor Neil Colville, of CPS Mersey-Cheshire, said: “Berry was driving recklessly on that night without any thought for the other drivers on the road. It is lucky that someone was not hurt as he was driving at speed and carelessly. The fact that he cut across a car that was being driven by a police officer is fortuitous. That led them to follow him and stop him before he could cause any more issues.
“He has denied his wrongdoing until the end, but has now been found guilty. Some people think the laws of the land do not apply to them. Speed limits and road regulations are there to protect us all. Mark Berry chose to ignore them. He has been found guilty and has only himself to blame.”
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