Hull City star Snodgrass ‘delighted’ to beat driving ban threat

The former Leeds United star’s £40,000 2014 model BMW3 active hybrid was caught on camera on the A66 at Gatherley Moor, Richmondshire, North Yorkshire.

Prosecutor Neil Strickland claimed the BMW was recorded doing 83mph on a 70mph road at 11.07am on July 21 last year.

A notice was sent out to an address in Norwich. A further address was found in Galloway - and the footballer’s current address near Hull was finally contacted, Mr Strickland said.

When there was no response by December, Snodgrass was prosecuted for failing to give information about the driver.

Snodgrass, 27, of North Ferriby, near Hull, failed to appear in court at Northallerton in March and the case was proved in absence.

JPs heard Snodgrass has a previous conviction on February 19 2014 of failing to give information about a driver - so already had six points on his licence.

He had been fined £600 in his absence by Norwich magistrates after his BMW was clocked going over a 30mph speed hump at 44mph.

The new offence of failing to give information would have carried six more points, giving a total of 12 - meaning disqualification,

The footballer was given an interim driving ban and ordered to attend court for disqualification in April.

But his lawyers then successfully applied for the conviction to be quashed and entered a not guilty plea.

The court heard Snodgrass claimed he had not received the speeding notices because he was travelling about - but contacted traffic cops as soon as he became aware of the situation.

He was due to go on trial this week - when it was revealed Crown lawyers had dropped the case earlier this month because “there was not enough evidence to realistically convict”.

His solicitor Simon Nicholls, of Belmores crime and motoring specialists, said yesterday: “Robert is delighted the prosecution have resolved the matter and have decided to discontinue the case.

“He has not got off on a technicality. He was originally convicted of not notifying the police who the driver was.

“If he was not aware of the request he had a proper and legitimate defence and the police have decided to drop it.

“I’m glad it has all turned out all right for him.”

He understood that his client’s car had been allegedly recorded speeding “but there was no basis in law or fact” to prove he was guilty of anything.

Snodgrass left Norwich last summer when he signed to Hull City in a deal said to be worth more than £6m, having joined the Canaries from Leeds United in 2012.

He has won 15 international caps, scoring three times for his country.