Sunday 12 September 2010

‘Mr Loophole’ reminisces

One of his personal favourites was David Beckham's speeding case in 1999, when Freeman tried to argue that the then Manchester United player was 'petrified' by a paparazzi photographer while driving in Wilmslow, Cheshire.

He was defeated at the magistrates' court, and Beckham was banned for eight months, but Freeman got the ban overturned on appeal.

The highest speed for which he has achieved an acquittal was 176mph. 'The prosecution didn't show who was driving the Porsche Turbo involved,' he explains.


His fastest acquittal - 41 seconds into proceedings - was for a hearing involving 'Freddie' Flintoff, who appeared at Liverpool Magistrates' Court charged with driving at 87mph in a 50mph zone.

'I explained to the prosecution what was wrong with their case - which was that notice of prosecution had been received later than the required 14 days -
and they dropped it and costs were awarded,' says Freeman.