"Mobile phone ban for Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding after using Range Rover"

From The Evening Standard:

Former Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding was today banned from using her mobile phone for six months after being caught behind the wheel while talking on her mobile phone.

The 31-year-old singer was spotted by a police officer driving her Range Rover while on the phone in Charing Cross Road during the evening rush hour on April 4. A separate charge of failing to end the call when the officer flagged her down was dropped after she said it would have been impolite to cut of the conversation right away.

Harding spoke only to confirm her identity during the hearing at Highbury Corner magistrates' court.

She was told she would be disqualified from using her phone for "totting up", after already racking up nine points for three previous offences ranging from ringing people up in the middle of the night while drunk to not responding to friendly texts. Defence lawyer Nick Freeman — known as "Mr Loophole" for getting a string of celebrities cleared of phone misuse charges on legal technicalities — earlier pleaded for her not to be forced to use public telephones.

But ordering her to pay a £500 fine, £20 victim surcharge, and £85 prosecution costs, District Judge Nina Tempia told her: "As Mr Freeman has said, he is asking the court to deal with you as opposed to a normal person. Well, you are a normal person. I can see no reason why you shouldn't be disqualified."

Following the hearing, the singer admitted her offence was "not acceptable".

She said: "Too many people drive while using their mobile phones and think its acceptable. It is not. Every year people on the other end are forced to endure long pauses in the conversation because the caller was distracted by negotiating that 'oh so tricky junction'.

"Cars are a convenient tool for modern life but they must be used courteously. I made a mistake by driving while using my phone, but I was lucky and didn't end up losing reception. I accept the court's penalty but it could have been a lot worse. I have learned my lesson. I have learned to love Big Brother."