Harry Potter star Emma Watson banned from driving after being caught speeding
Emma Watson might have to dig her broomstick back out to help her get from A to B, as the Harry Potter star has just been banned from driving.
The actress, best known for starring as Hermione Granger in the hit film franchise, is now forbidden from getting behind the wheel for the next six months.
She was caught speeding in £30,000 Audi S3 on 31 July last year, with a speed camera capturing her travelling at 38mph in a 30mph zone in Oxford.
Breaking the speed limit is a crime in the UK, even for A-listers who captured the nation's hearts in their adolescence while starring in movies about the wizarding world.
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Although first-time offenders are often offered a Speed Awareness Course, there was no chance of this for Watson.
That's because the Little Women star has already racked up three previous driving offences over the years - so by the time she got done for speeding last year, she already had nine points on her licence.
According to the UK government, you can be disqualified from driving if you get 12 or more penalty points within a three year period.
After receiving a court summons, motorists in this position then find out their fate from a judge who decides how long the disqualification will last based on how serious they think the offence is.
You can be slapped with a six month ban if you get 12 or more penalty points within 3 years, or a 12-month ban if you get a second disqualification within three years.
If you manage to get a third disqualification within three years, you can be banned from the roads for two whole years.
Watson, who is currently a student at the University of Oxford, was made to pay a total of £1,044 at High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (16 July). She did not attend the five-minute hearing.
In February last year, Watson was left red-faced when her car got towed after being left parked in front of a driveway in Stratford-Upon-Avon.
It ended up blocking some other cars from leaving, including one belonging to the owner of a nearby pizzeria, who found their car 'trapped' behind Watson's vehicle.
Her car at the time, a blue Audi S3, was hauled away and Watson was left with some paperwork to recover it.
Fortunately, she managed to see the funny side of things as she ventured onto X to give herself a ribbing over the incident.
She joked that she was 'still searching for parking in Stratford upon Avon' followed by a laughing emoji - so if you see any speeding puns turn up on her social media later, you know why.
Coincidentally, one of Watson's Harry Potter co-stars was also banned from driving at the same today (16 July) too.
Zoe Wanamaker, who played Quidditch referee and flying instructor Rolanda Hooch in the first film, also landed herself a disqualification from the roads after driving her blue Volvo at 46mph on a road with a 40mph limit.
The 76-year-old has been banned for six months and fined the same amount as Watson, £1,044, as she also had nine points on her licence prior to this speeding incident.
Wanamaker did not attend the short hearing to find out her fate.
Topics: Celebrity, Driving, Emma Watson, Harry Potter, UK News
Olivia Burke