ARSENAL outcast Mesut Ozil has escaped a driving ban after being caught at 97mph on a motorway.
The German claimed he got mixed up between mph and kmph and explained he needs to drive to take his daughter to healthcare appointments.
Ozil, 32, has been given a £1,000 fine and six points on his licence and been ordered to pay £100 in costs and a £100 court surcharge.
The Gunners playmaker was caught doing nearly 100MPH on the southbound M1 just before 11:50am on July 2 of this year.
He was driving his £143k Mercedes G-Wagon.
In a written explanation to Bromley magistrates’ court, Ozil wrote: “When attempting to rationalise my actions, I believe it was the combination of the empty road, with no other vehicles to gauge my speed against, and the misapprehension that I was travelling in kmph rather than mph.”
The £350k-a-week star pleaded with the court to consider he is a ‘man of hitherto unblemished character’.
And he added: “Might I please urge the court to keep any disqualification period to a minimum as I travel to work on a daily basis by car and have personal commitments and a very young baby daughter.
“In the current climate I would be very much against travelling on public transport with my baby daughter.
“My wife does not drive and therefore by necessity I will have to undertake the driving to any healthcare appointments for my daughter.”
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Ozil explained he was only on a short drive from Arsenal’s London Colney training base on his way back to his £10m mansion in Highgate, North London.
He did not attend court as it was dealt with behind closed doors at Single Justice Procedure hearing in November.
Ozil has not played a single game for the Gunners this season but Mikel Arteta recently dropped a huge hint that he could be recalled in January.
Arsene Wenger also recently explained how he dealt with ‘artist’ Ozil when he was at the club.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
