Mudryk is in more hot waterplaceholder image
Mudryk is in more hot water | Getty Images
One of Chelsea’s most maligned players is in more hot water, appearing at court.
Chelsea star Mykhailo Mudryk is in hot water again as he continues to battle a doping ban that has kept him out of football since November of last year. Mudryk was charged with alleged use of a banned substance, and while he maintains his innocence, he remains banned from football.
In recent days, there have been whispers that the winger, who Chelsea paid more than £62million upfront for plus tens of millions in possible bonuses, could return to action in January under appeal, with Sevilla reportedly interested in a loan deal.
But Mudryk has not helped his reputation with another issue, this time a legal one that involves action off the pitch. As detailed by the Daily Mail, Mudryk has been hit with another driving ban after driving while disqualified, and in a car with ‘excessive’ and ‘dangerous’ tinted windows, as described by the prosecution.
Mudryk was pulled over in Chiswick on October 2, driving his BMW M8, which is worth around £140,000. He was pulled over just weeks after he was banned from driving for six months due to excessive speeding.
The Ukrainian told the court that he was left with no option but to drive to training due to his chauffeur being unavailable. He was reportedly pulled over in the car, which had Ukrainian plates, and he was found to have no insurance or valid driving licence at the time of being pulled over, while tests showed his window tints were beyond the legal threshold.
Mudryk appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court to face charges and admitted to being behind the wheel illegally and driving without insurance. He also admitted to driving a vehicle 'in such a condition it was likely to cause danger'.
His defence used the challenges faced by Mudryk over the last year as mitigation for his actions. His defence told the court: “The past year has had a significant psychological impact on him. Perhaps because of those difficulties it has had an effect on his thinking.”
Magistrate Sonia O'Connor told Mudryk: “We have heard what has been said. The sentence would have been larger but we have taken into account your guilty plea. You must pay your fine today at the court. You cannot drive.”
Mudryk was handed a 12-month community order which includes 60 hours of unpaid work. His driving ban was extended to a year and he was ordered to pay £199, which includes a £114 victim surcharge and £85 in costs.
The winger could be banned for up to four years should he be found to have knowingly taken performance-enhancing substances, though he maintains he has no knowledge of how the substance got into his body.
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