Tony Christie's son on 25 points escapes a driving ban
THE son of singer Tony Christie sobbed as he escaped a driving ban despite having 25 penalty points – after a court heard he needed his car to carry his drum kit to gigs.
Sean Fitzgerald, 43, drives 20,000 miles a year to play with his father – best known for his hit Is This the Way to Amarillo – and other acts in Britain and Europe.
He had clocked up 17 penalty points since 2010 for speeding, driving without insurance and failure to provide information.
Cannock magistrates in Staffordshire heard that he was caught on consecutive days last November driving his
Volkswagen Golf at 86mph and 75mph in a 60mph zone on the A38 near Weeford, Staffordshire.
Fitzgerald admitted two charges of speeding.
He said he earned between £18,000 and £25,000 a year but if he lost his licence he would lose his job and added he was behind with payments for his home at Kensington Oval, a gated community in Lichfield, West Midlands.
You should have been called in before now
He was fined £335 and had eight points put on his licence but was spared a ban – even though one would usually be
imposed for having 12 points.
Chairman of the bench Mark Embrey told him:
“You should have been called in before now.
“However, we are not going to ban you – but you will be on 25 points, which is very rare.”