John Stones fined and handed four points after speeding case

John Stones has received four penalty points and been ordered to pay a total of £1,052 after a speeding case reached Warrington Magistrates Court, with the England defender explaining that his World Cup commitments, holiday and move to Inter meant court correspondence was not seen at his Cheshire home.

Key takeaways

• Stones was recorded driving a Range Rover at 43mph in a 30mph limit near his Cheshire residence in May.
• The 32-year-old accepted that he had been driving when first contacted by Cheshire Police.
• A missed follow-up notice prevented the matter being settled through a fixed-penalty payment.
• The court imposed a £666 fine, £120 costs and a £266 victim surcharge, as well as four licence points.
• Stones said he was away from home for almost four months while with England, on holiday and completing his transfer to Inter.

World Cup absence led to court hearing

The case was dealt with through the Single Justice Procedure after Stones did not respond to the second police letter. That notice would have allowed him to accept a fixed penalty without the offence progressing to court.

In a written admission to the magistrates, Stones did not challenge the speeding allegation. He explained that he had provided his driver information on May 28 before joining up with England, and that he remained on international duty until July 19 for the World Cup.

Stones said his return from the tournament was followed by a holiday and then his relocation to Milan to join Inter. With no one at his British property during that period, the later legal documents were not discovered until much later.

He told the court that he no longer lived in the country and would therefore be unable to attend in person. The defender’s explanation was accepted as part of the written proceedings, although the failure to deal with the fixed-penalty offer meant the financial sanction was substantially higher.

Inter move follows a busy summer

The speeding matter is now concluded, allowing Stones to turn his attention to his new club career in Italy. The experienced centre-back has joined Inter after an unusually demanding summer that included international duty, travel and a change of residence.

His immediate priority will be settling into life in Milan and making an impression in Inter’s defensive unit as he begins the next stage of his career.