EastEnders star Colin Salmon, who plays George Knight, appeared in court after speeding in a 20mph zone and broke down in tears when explaining his tough family situation to the room
EastEnders star Colin Salmon wept in court as he escaped a driving ban.
The George Knight actor, 64, broke down as he explained that he has been caring for seriously ill family members and needed his car to drive them to medical appointments. The former Strictly star, who plays George Knight in EastEnders, was spared a driving ban after being caught speeding at 24mph in a 20mph zone. He cried at Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court in south-west London as he explained the illnesses of his wife Fiona Hawthorne and their daughter Sasha, who fell ill with lymphoma in 2019
Magistrates ruled he needed to continue driving them to appointments and to carry out his charitable commitments. The father-of-four pleaded guilty to breaking the 20mph speed limit in Old Oak Road, Acton, on March 31. The court heard a speed camera captured him travelling at 24mph at 7.17am, not far from the family home.
Salmon already had nine points on his licence for speeding on April 30 2023, jumping a red light on February 27 this year and driving without due care and attention on April 15.
He was fined £666 with £130 costs, ordered to pay a £266 victim surcharge and received three more penalty points which usually trigger an automatic six-month disqualification.
Bench chairman Mark Stollery said: “We note you are the main breadwinner and carer for your family and within the family, members have life-limiting conditions, including your wife and children, who all have varying medical conditions.”
Saying that Salmon and his family would struggle if he was disqualified from driving, the magistrate added: “They rely on you abnormally compared to most families and we also note your charitable work and that takes up time and travel.”
Talking about the speeding offence, Salmon said: “I am embarrassed and ashamed. I feel strongly about speeding near schools so to do this is ridiculous. I am sorry for letting down the people I am trying to help and my family and I have now bought a radar and fitted it to the car.”
Salmon has opened up before about Fiona’s health conditions on Good Morning Britain, saying she was diagnosed with interstitial lung disease which left her dependent on an oxygen tank.
Salmon appeared in three James Bond movies as MI6 Deputy Chief of Staff Charles Robinson and was a rising star in the US.
However, he took a role in EastEnders, which is filmed in Borehamwood, to make sure he was close to home in the event of any sudden emergencies.
The EastEnders actor plays ex-boxer George, patriarch of the Knight family and former co-owner of the Queen Vic pub. He told the magistrates: “My wife fell ill while I was working in America, so I needed to stay home and in 2022 the opportunity came to join the cast of EastEnders and stay in London.
“They don’t offer cars. You have got to get yourself to and from work – it is part of our contract that we are self-sufficient in relation to that.”
He has had some impressive roles in TV shows including Prime Suspect 2, Silent Witness, Band of Gold, Judge John Deed, Bad Girls, Doctor Who, Spooks, Death In Paradise, Arrow and Midsomer Murders.
Salmon became emotional in court when explaining daughter Sasha fell ill with lymphoma, which is a cancer that affects the blood cells, in 2019.
He said keeping his licence would mean he can carry on with his charity work which includes a steel drum band that assists older performers and isolated women.
He is also a King’s Trust ambassador, having previously fulfilled a similar role with the Prince’s Trust, and plays cricket for the Lord’s Taverners.
Salmon also needs his licence to drive to the young offenders institution attached to HMP Portland, where he teaches cricket to inmates as well as at HMP Oakwood, Birmingham.
Have you joined Threads? Follow Daily Star to keep up to date on all things showbiz here
Want all the biggest Showbiz and TV news straight to your inbox? Sign up for our free Daily Star Showbiz newsletter
#EastEnders #star #breaks #court #missing #driving #ban
