Premier League star Demba Ba slammed by magistrates after failing to appear at three speeding case hearings

By Rob Preece

PUBLISHED: 11:59 EST, 4 September 2012 | UPDATED: 12:05 EST, 4 September 2012

No show: Newcastle United striker Demba Ba was given a six-month driving ban by magistrates, who criticised him for not turning up at court

A Premier League footballer, who failed to attend court three times after his car was caught speeding, has been banned from driving.

Newcastle United striker Demba Ba was given a six-month ban in his absence by magistrates, who criticised him for not turning up.

The 27-year-old had given no reason for his failure to appear at South East Northumberland Magistrates' Court for the case.

Magistrates heard that the Senegal international's car had been caught speeding on two occasions.

Northumbria Police wrote to Ba in November last year and asked him to tell them who had been driving the car.

Ba, who lives on the affluent Darras Hall estate in Ponteland, Newcastle, had until December 13 to respond, but he failed to provide the details.

The footballer, who used to play for West Ham United, was later charged with failing to supply driver information.

Ba was written to and told to appear at South East Northumberland magistrates on May 17 to answer the charge, but failed to show.

At that hearing, he was given six penalty points on his licence, fined £1,000, and told to pay £85 costs plus a £15 victim surcharge.

But the case was later reopened after it emerged that Ba already had six points on his licence and a further six would take him to 12 - the point at which a driver can be banned.

He was asked to return to the court in Bedlington, Northumberland, on August 1 but again failed to appear.

The court then wrote to Ba again, warning him that magistrates were considering banning him from driving.

Banned: Ba (right), pictured in action for Newcastle United, failed to attend court three times after being charged with a driving-related offence

Ba was again absent, however, when the case ended last Thursday.

Peter Edwards, chairman of the bench, said: 'We are satisfied that Mr Ba has failed to attend court yet again.'

Magistrates were told that the court 'knew nothing' of the player’s means.

They reimposed the original penalty of six points, the £1,000 fine, the £85 contribution to costs and £15 victim surcharge.

Ba was given 14 days to pay the fine and costs and banned from driving for six months.

Police would not release details of his car, the locations where it was caught speeding, nor the speed at which it was driven.

Newcastle United declined to comment on the case.