Clydebank Post | News | Wet Wet Wet star was gunning it on danger road

Sunday, 20th July, 2008

Published: Wednesday, 2nd April, 2008 10:00

Wet Wet Wet star was gunning it on danger road

By Court Reporter

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DRUMMER: Cunningham (far left) with Wets

WET Wet Wet drummer Tommy Cunningham has been caught speeding “excessively” on one of the town’s most dangerous roads.

The 43-year-old pop star was clocked doing almost 20mph over the 50mph limit on the A82 Great Western Road, near to Drumry Roundabout.

But the star of the chart-topping Clydebank band — which has recently released a new album — claimed that he only put his foot to the floor because he was running late to collect his children from school.

Cunningham — who owns the Village Tavern pub in Duntocher — admitted driving at 68mph on the stretch of road, which has claimed the lives of three people in the last 18 months and left one man with irreversible brain injuries.

There have been calls to introduce a lower speed limit on the carriageway to avoid further accidents. Iain Logan, fiscal depute, told Clydebank District Court on Thursday that Cunningham was caught at 11.35am on November 26, 2007, in wet conditions.

Originally, Drumchapel-born Cunningham was charged with driving at 75mph, but the charge was reduced to the lesser speed, which was accepted by Cunningham.

Despite not appearing at court on Thursday, Cunningham’s lawyer tendered a guilty plea on his behalf.

Joanna Mortimer, defending, said: “He accepts that the speed he was driving at was grossly excessive, but he had been at a business meeting in the Clydebank area which had run on a little.

“He was running late for travelling to Anniesland to collect his children from school.

“My client always accepted that he was speeding but did contest the speed which was originally stated.”

Justice Andrew Veitch fined Cunningham £200 for the offence — reduced from £300 for his early plea — and added four penalty points to his licence.

Cunningham is not the first celebrity to flout speed laws in Clydebank. Motor-mouth DJ Suzie Maguire was recently fined £200 and five penalty points were added to her licence after being clocked driving along a 30mph stretch of Glasgow Road at 54mph.

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