Comedian Omid Djalili was caught speeding through central London and told police he was in rush – as he was desperate for the toilet, a court heard.
The 57-year-old actor and stand-up comic was stopped on the edge of Regent’s Park after a PC spotted him “flying” along the road in his luxury Lexus.
As he was questioned at the roadside, Djalili was keen to get his brush with the law over as soon as possible.
“As soon as I stopped the driver he said he needed a wee”, PC Ayyaz Gul told Bromley magistrates court.
The officer said he questioned Djalili, a star of films including Gladiator, The Infidel, and The Mummy, to see if he knew that the road - Albany Street – was a 20mph limit.
Djalili replied: “I haven’t been down here for many years. Speed 30, 40. I must be doing 45 or something.”
In his statement, PC Gul continued: “I showed him the speed gun and said he was doing 47mph.
“I informed him that I could see him that he was flying towards me.
“I asked for his driving licence and he was yes and asked me to be quick as he needed to go to the toilet.”
Djalili has now been prosecuted over the incident, which happened at 11.19am on Saturday, November 26, 2022.
On Tuesday a magistrate fined him £660, ordered him to pay a £264 victim surcharge plus £100 in costs, and imposed six penalty points on his licence.
It is by no means the first time the TV funnyman has run into trouble with the police over his conduct behind the wheel.
He was given a £200 fine in March last year for speeding near to Gatwick Airport and received a £1,300 penalty in 2013 for another bout of speeding on the M4, when he joked to a court: “Comedian humbly asking for leniency”.
In 2008, Djalili lost his licence after racking up more than 12 penalty points, and he received a second ban in 2012 after being caught driving without a valid licence or insurance.
The award-winning comedian told a podcast last year how his driving has landed him in hot water in court.
“You should never do jokes in court”, he said.
“The judge said to me ‘Mr Djalili, you have 36 points on your license and another 18 pending, which takes you to up to 54, which is a UK record currently, we’re going to ban you from driving for six months, do have anything to say?’
“I said, ‘Could you give me a lift to the station, your honour?’
“The judge said, ‘That’s not funny’."
Djalili’s latest prosecution came through the Single Justice Procedure, with a magistrate deciding on the case behind closed doors based on written evidence.
A court official said Djalili did not enter a plea to the charge of speeding, having been written to at his home in Ipswich.
A representative for the star has been contacted for comment.
