Jordan Pickford to Appear in Court Over Careless Driving Charge

Everton and England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford is due to appear at Chester Magistrates’ Court on December 7 after entering an online guilty plea to a careless-driving allegation arising from an incident in Knutsford, Cheshire, on April 14.

Incident before Merseyside derby

The 91-cap England international was driving a blue Lamborghini Urus, valued at around £165,000 and carrying a personalised registration plate, days before Everton’s crucial Merseyside derby against Liverpool.

PC Cecil Ricardo said he saw the vehicle while leaving Knutsford police station. In his account, the Lamborghini reached the Princess Street junction with Toft Road, failed to comply with give-way markings and joined Toft Road in a manner that caused two other drivers to brake sharply to prevent a collision.

• The vehicle then accelerated along Toft Road through the residential area.
• Police activated lights and sirens before following the car.
• The officer said his own vehicle reached 50mph in a 30mph limit while attempting to close the distance.
• Despite that speed, he said the Lamborghini was continuing to pull away before it eventually stopped.

Driver identified and report issued

After the Lamborghini pulled over, PC Ricardo approached the driver and identified him as Pickford. The goalkeeper was cautioned over driving without due care and attention and was given a traffic offence report. The officer said Pickford did not respond at the roadside.

The allegation was formally charged by Cheshire Police on September 23. It was initially put through the Single Justice Procedure, which permits magistrates to deal with lower-level motoring cases without a public hearing.

Pickford requests court hearing

Pickford pleaded guilty through the online process last Friday, but asked for sentencing to take place in person rather than being concluded on written submissions. In his court filing, he said he wished to attend to present mitigation.

The possible consequences will be decided by magistrates at the December hearing. A careless-driving offence can result in:

• Between three and nine penalty points on a driving licence; or
• A disqualification, depending on the court’s assessment of the case and Pickford’s mitigation.

The Lamborghini Urus involved is a high-performance SUV capable of reaching 62mph in 3.5 seconds, with a stated top speed of 190mph.