Lee Ryan claims he can't afford court fine
Lee Ryan insisted he can't pay a £1,500 fine as he spent all his cash during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 38-year-old star appeared at Peterborough Magistrates' Court on Thursday (19.08.21), via a video link from his home in Spain, and revealed that he was "out of work at the moment", meaning he couldn't pay his fine.
Lee - who was ordered to pay £1,501 in total, including court costs, and disqualified from driving for 12 months - claimed that his girlfriend was driving his white Mercedes when it was twice caught breaking the speed limit.
The singer explained that he lent the vehicle to Verity Morley "because she was going up and down the country in the car with her job".
During his appearance in court, he added: "I gave her my car because I thought it was safer than her own."
Lee insisted that Verity was behind the wheel when the speeding offences took place.
He also claimed he couldn't pay the fine because he didn't have any savings.
Lee - who rose to fame as part of the chart-topping boy band Blue - said: "I haven't got that money. I just don't have any money. I'm not working.
"They stopped the gigs so I don't have any. They've stopped everything because of the pandemic."
One magistrate subsequently pointed out that gigs have restarted in the UK, thereby giving Lee the opportunity to return to work.
Lee - who appeared on 'Strictly Come Dancing' in 2018 - replied: "Well, I haven't got anything."
Lee was initially charged with driving over the speed limit on two occasions last year.
Those charges were subsequently dismissed, as the prosecution couldn't prove the identity of the driver, and Lee was instead found guilty on two counts of failing to give information relating to the identification of the driver.
The pop star has been warned that he could face prison time if the fine is not paid.
