Speeding case against Toon star thrown out after postal blunder

10:24am Wednesday 24th October 2007

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A SPEEDING case against Newcastle United star Damien Duff was thrown out of court because of a postal blunder.

Duff's Range Rover was clocked by a mobile police camera van travelling at 102mph in a 50mph zone on the A1 near Seaton Burn, North Tyneside, in February.

The star, who cost the Magpies £5m from Chelsea, was notified of the offence by police, who sent a notice to him asking him to provide details of who had been driving the vehicle at the time.

But police did not receive any reply, and the winger was subsequentially charged with failing to supply information to the chief officer.

At a hearing at Tynedale Magistrates' Court in September, Duff, of Tranwell Woods, near Morpeth, was found guilty in his absence, incurring a £100 fine and three penalty points on his licence.

But solicitors for Duff, who has not appeared at any of the hearings, asked for the case to be reopened and at yesterday's hearing provided a proof of postage that showed the Republic of Ireland international had replied to the original notice.

They said that the reply had been lost either in the mail or by the police and as a result, the magistrates dismissed the case against the 28-year-old winger.

Northumbria Police last night said they had never received Duff's letter and would discuss the case with the Crown Prosecution Service.

Duff's solicitors JB Warburton declined to comment last night.

But Northumbria Police assistant chief constable Greg Vant said: "Northumbria Police did not receive any letter from Mr Duff in relation to this offence and we will be liaising with the CPS on this matter."