British rapper Stormzy banned from driving for using phone behind wheel of his Rolls-Royce
Stormzy performs at the Reading Music Festival, England, Friday, Aug. 27, 2021. (AP Photo/Scott Garfitt, File)
LONDON (AP) — British rapper Stormzy was banned from driving for nine months on Thursday after admitting he drove his Rolls-Royce through London while using his phone.
The 31-year-old, whose real name is Michael Ebenazer Owuo Jr., is known for bringing the grime genre of rap into the commercial mainstream. His debut “Gang Signs and Prayer” won album of the year at the Brit Awards in 2018, where he was named best male British solo artist — an honor he won again in 2020.
His record on the road, however, isn’t good, a judge said at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court.
District judge Andrew Sweet said that Stormzy’s actions were “dangerous and irresponsible.”
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Associated Press reporters Corey Williams and Julie Walker contributed to this report
It’s very sad, just terrible timing,” Maffucci said, adding that the storms were responsible for a number of downed trees and “quite a few wrecks.”
Two people were killed in storms in Mississippi, officials said. An 18-year-old died after a tree fell on her home Saturday night in Natchez in Adams County, said Emergency Management spokesperson Neifa Hardy. Two other people in the home were injured.
Another person died in Lowndes County and at least eight more were injured across the state, officials said.
The National Weather Service said two tornadoes hit around Bude and the city of Brandon, ripping roofs from several buildings.
- Storm damage also was reported in the northern Alabama city of Athens, northwest of Huntsville.
Stormzy previously put “vulnerable road users at risk” when he drove a Lamborghini Urus with illegally tinted windows, prosecutor Alice Holloway said. The windows only allowed 4% light transmission — a tiny fraction of the 70% required for tinting.
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Stormzy, who wasn’t in court for the hearing, pleaded guilty in writing to the cellphone driving charge from March. He had previously admitted to the 2023 tinting offense and also had a record of speeding.
The rapper was also fined 2,010 pounds ($2,500) and penalty points were added to his license.
Defense lawyer Peter Csemiczky said that Stormzy apologized and accepted responsibility.
Driving bans are handed down regularly in England for traffic offenses. They can be discretionary or mandatory for using a phone while driving, depending on the nature of the offense.