Drink-driving Best banned for 20 months

FALLEN football idol George Best was banned for 20 months after he was caught drink-driving as he tried to get to a health farm to “sort himself out” following a furious row with his son, Calum.

His solicitor Pippa McAtasney told a court he had hit the bottle again recently after "losing the support" of estranged wife Alex, who is filming ITV's I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here! in the Australian jungle.

The 57-year-old former Manchester United star pleaded guilty.

Alex, 32, has not been told about Best's latest brush with the law, which also saw him fined £1,500 (€2,200).

Mr Best arrived at Wimbledon magistrates court in a black taxi. He stooped and looked pale as he shuffled into the dock. When asked by the clerk "Are you George Best?" he said quietly "yes" from behind a thick glass screen.

Asked to plead to the charge of drink-driving, he replied more clearly: "guilty". On the night he was caught, Mr Best had been to a restaurant to meet his 23-year-old son, Calum.

Ms McAtasney said: "The evening went badly, they ended up arguing and it clearly upset Mr Best a great deal. Things were said that struck a raw nerve and he realised at that point he had to get himself sorted out and couldn't continue sliding as he was.

"He had earlier booked himself into a hotel because he had no intention of driving, but because of what had been said he needed to be in a therapeutic environment.

"He wanted to get himself to a health farm in Liphook."

Mr Best had an arrangement with Champneys Forest Mere health farm near Liphook, Hampshire, whereby he could arrive at any time he needed help.

Ms McAtasney said Mr Best was usually very careful about not driving after drinking. She said he employed a driver but believed the driver was on holiday at the time.

She went on: "He couldn't get a taxi and it is against that background that he stupidly drove his car. He had no intention of driving it until the argument and the upset."

She claimed he was stopped because his black Mini Cooper had a personalised number plate G18 EST and police knew who he was. "It must have stuck out like a sore thumb," she said.

She said Mr Best was sorry for driving over the limit but added that he denied driving erratically.

She said he had behaved "like a gentleman" after he was stopped by police and admitted drinking immediately.

He was stopped by a police car on the A3 at New Malden, Surrey, at 12.20am last Friday.

Prosecutor Moira MacDaid said the police car went to overtake and Mr Best braked suddenly and pulled over to the left.

She said: "They stopped it and spoke to the driver, who gave his name as George Best. He smelt of alcohol. Police asked him if he had been drinking and he said yes."

Mr Best failed a roadside breath test and was taken to Wimbledon police station where he was tested again and registered 85 micrograms in 100 millilitres of breath when the legal limit is 35 micrograms.

Mr Best agreed to go on a rehabilitation course, which could see his 20-month road ban cut by up to a quarter. This could involve Mr Best being forced to keep a "drink diary" if he opted for a course run by The Priory in Roehampton, south west London, a favourite rehabilitation centre for celebrities. Mr Best underwent a life saving liver transplant in 2002 after being told by doctors that further alcohol abuse could kill him.

As he left court he was asked whether he was still trying to give up drinking but did not reply before being whisked away.

Later, his close friend and spokesman Phil Hughes said: "He is trying. It's an on-going process."