A wealthy filmmaker and classic car aficionado is counting the cost of a moment of madness after being caught driving his prized vintage Ferrari in a dangerously reckless manner.
Alexander Warren, 45, was captured on camera aggressively accelerating and weaving in his rare 1972 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS on a public road in Surrey. The footage, which formed the core of the prosecution's case, showed the high-performance vehicle being driven well beyond reasonable limits for the conditions.
Hefty Fine and Impending Licence Threat
Magistrates at Guildford Magistrate Court did not take the offence lightly. Warren was handed a significant financial penalty, ordered to pay a total of £1,434, which includes a fine of £923, a victim surcharge of £369, and £142 in court costs.
More devastatingly for a car lover, he was also slapped with six penalty points on his driving licence. This takes him perilously close to a total driving ban under the UK's totting-up procedure, a major blow for someone with a collection of classic vehicles.
A Defence of Mechanical Faults Falls Flat
In his defence, Warren claimed that the car's aggressive behaviour was due not to his right foot but to alleged mechanical issues. He stated the vintage motor had been suffering from a sticking throttle and faulty brakes, making it a handful to control.
However, this argument was swiftly dismissed by the prosecutors. They successfully argued that as the owner and driver of the vehicle, the ultimate responsibility for its safe and legal operation rested solely with him. Getting behind the wheel of a powerful classic car with known defects was presented as an act of sheer folly.
The High Cost of Poor Judgment
This case serves as a stark reminder to all motorists, and particularly those in charge of high-performance classic cars, that the law applies equally to everyone. The conviction underscores a zero-tolerance approach towards reckless driving, regardless of the vehicle's age, value, or the driver's status.
For Warren, the fine is likely negligible, but the stain on his record and the very real threat of a driving ban represents a far greater punishment. The incident is a classic tale of how a brief loss of judgment can have long-lasting and expensive consequences.
