Richie blames media baiting as he is banned from driving
Actor Shane Richie has been banned from driving for six months after pleading guilty to a speeding offense. He claimed that persistent harassment by paparazzi, who follow him to work and his home, contributed to his decision to speed.
Why it matters
The case highlights the ongoing tension between celebrity privacy, media conduct, and public safety laws.
EastEnders star Shane Richie blamed "baiting" from paparazzi as he was banned from driving for six months after being caught speeding.
The 62-year-old actor, best known for playing Alfie Moon in the long-running soap, told a court he has been pursued daily by photographers because he is going through a "very public" divorce.
Richie claimed photographers have driven alongside him on the M25 to try to take pictures, tailed him on his drive to and from the EastEnders studios, and followed to his local supermarket.
And he told a magistrate that the press has been "constantly baiting me" for months in a bid to get an angry reaction on camera.
"This is not an excuse for going five miles over the limit, but just a reason why I may have sped up on that particular road," he said, of the speeding offence.
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