Michail Antonio faces ban for failing to name driver

Former Premier League player Michail Antonio faces a driving ban for not telling police who was driving his Lamborghini when it was clocked speeding last year.

The ex-West Ham striker was found guilty in his absence at Birmingham Magistrates' Court of failing to give information to police last April.

A charge of speeding was dropped by prosecutors as magistrates heard the car was doing an average speed of 50mph (80.5kph) in a 40mph (64kph) zone in Birmingham on 1 March 2025.

Antonio, who spent three weeks in hospital the previous December after crashing a Ferrari into a tree, already has six points on his licence, including for having no insurance at the time of his crash.

He faces a further six penalty points for failing to notify police of the identity of the driver of his Lamborghini, meaning he would be disqualified from driving.

The 36-year-old Jamaica international, who now plays for a club in the Qatar Stars League, will be sentenced at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on 19 June.

The hearing on Wednesday was told a letter asking for information about who was driving the Lamborghini Urus was sent to Antonio's Beaconsfield home three days after it was clocked speeding on Lee Bank Middleway and Belgrave Middleway.

Prosecutor Lucy Allen told magistrates: "There has been no response received to that notice.

"We offer no evidence in relation to the speeding offence."

The player was not legally represented in court, with the clerk telling magistrates: "The defendant has not put forward a reason for you to consider [for failing to provide information]."

In a separate case, the footballer is accused of failing to respond to the Metropolitan Police force over an allegation of driving without due care and attention in central London.

Police say he was the registered keeper of a Lamborghini Urus accused of being involved in an incident on Pall Mall in the early hours of 5 November last year.

The Met wrote to Antonio and asked him to identify the driver of the car, and he allegedly failed to respond, leading to a criminal prosecution.

In his response to the prosecution, Antonio entered a not guilty plea to the charge of failing to give information relating to the identification of the driver of a vehicle when required.

"The vehicle was on hire at the time of contravention," he wrote. "I have the hire agreement as proof."

A court official said the Pall Mall-related case had been adjourned for a public hearing on 7 July at Bexley Magistrates' Court.

Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.