Former Man United footballer Nicky Butt sentenced after breaking motorcyclist's leg in horror Range Rover crash
21 June 2024, 12:18 | Updated: 21 June 2024, 12:41
Former Manchester United football legend Nicky Butt has been sentenced after breaking motorcyclist's leg in a horror Range Rover crash.
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The footballing icon was handed a 12 month driving ban and ordered to do 100 hours unpaid work after the star broke a motorcyclist's leg in a road crash.
Butt, 49, was driving home in his Land Rover Defender after dropping his son off at football training in Burnley when he pulled out in front of a Honda motorbike at 8.10pm on October 17, 2022.
The bike was being ridden by Adam Fielding, 28, with Butt telling Blackburn Magistrates' Court that the incident had happened following a "momentary lapse of concentration."
Mr Fielding spent two weeks in hospital following the accident, suffering a severely broken left leg during the incident.
Butt told the court in a statement: “I could not be more sorry.”
Butt is best known for his stints playing at Manchester United, Newcastle United and Birmingham City.
He is now a co-owner and chief executive officer of professional association football club Salford City.
During the case, the court heard how the rider, Mr Fielding, required surgery, with metal rods inserted into his leg, lost his job and has suffered psychological damage and is in constant pain, the court was told.
Butt, of Bowdon, Greater Manchester, admitted causing serious injury by careless driving at an earlier hearing, was also ordered to pay a £140 government surcharge and £85 costs.
John Dye, the barrister representing Butt, read a letter from the ex-Old Trafford favourite and England international, to Mr Fielding.
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Dye appealed for a fine as opposed community service, highlighting to the judge that Butt already undertook unpaid work as part of a prisoner reform programme.
He added that unpaid work as part of a community order would be a "distraction" for others on the course and create difficulties for the Probation Service due to Butt's celebrity status.
But District Judge Alex Preston said Butt should not be treated differently to defendants.
It said: "I have not stopped thinking about the accident and the effect it must have had on you and your family. I am truly sorry about the accident.
"I never set out to hurt anybody that night. What happened was a total accident. I checked and checked and checked again.
"If I could go back and change the events of that journey I would.
"I hope you can put this accident behind you. I could not be more sorry. I can only hope you can take this letter for what it is, heartfelt."
Mr Dye said Butt had stayed at the scene after the crash, had no previous convictions and had pleaded guilty.
He said Butt already does voluntary work with released prisoners and passed on "glowing" references, not read out in court, to the judge.
She told Butt: "I have no doubt you deeply regret what happened and feel genuine remorse.
"I do feel the case is serious enough for a community order. It is a matter for Probation how a community order is managed.
"It doesn't seem to me you should be treated as an exceptional case because of your means.
"You have been unable to explain why you did not see the victim on his motorbike. You should not have pulled out at this junction.
"This was a serious error by you. All drivers must 'Think bike' at junctions.
"It is accepted by all parties however that this chain of events was set in motion by a momentary lapse of concentration by you."
