Joe Cole Speeding Ban Delayed

'Mr Loophole' persuades magistrate to suspend 50-day ban for speeding because footballer's wife is unwilling to drive.
The England footballer Joe Cole avoided an immediate ban for speeding at 105mph after a court heard today that his wife was "severely traumatised" after being dragged from her car by "eight thugs on motorbikes".Carly Zucker has been unable to get back behind the wheel since she was the victim of a carjacking outside her Chelsea home, Staines magistrates court in south-west London was told.

Police are still hunting for the black Audi A4, which was stolen almost a fortnight ago, said Cole's lawyer, Nick Freeman. The chairman of the bench, John Neary, agreed to suspend a 50-day ban and £750 fine while Freeman, who is known as Mr Loophole, launches an appeal.The Liverpool and England star did not appear in court for the hearing. Freeman told the court: "His wife was outside their house in London when she was carjacked by eight thugs who were on motorbikes. She was physically removed from the car."The car was stolen and it has not yet been recovered. She is 26 and has been severely traumatised by this incident to the extent that she has not driven a car since."He said the situation was "now compounded" by the fact that Cole and his wife had moved to Merseyside after his summer transfer from Chelsea to Liverpool FC. Because of their profile, Zucker and her five-month-old baby would not be able to use public transport if Cole was banned, the lawyer added.Cole, who has missed a penalty and been sent off since making his debut for Liverpool, was driving his wife's A4 when a police officer spotted him breaking the 70mph limit in November last year. The footballer already had six points on his licence. He was told he must pay £600 costs in addition to the fine.