Former Manchester United footballer Nicky Butt sentenced over crash with motorcyclist
The 49 year old's car collided with Adam Fielding's motorbike near his home in Burnley in 2022
Last updated 21st Jun 2024
Former Manchester United footballer Nicky Butt has been banned from driving for 12 months and ordered to do 100 hours unpaid work after breaking a motorcyclist's leg in a road crash.
Butt, 49, behind the wheel of his ÂŁ100,000 Range Rover and heading home after taking his son to football training in Burnley, pulled out in front of a Honda motorbike ridden by Adam Fielding, 28, following a "momentary lapse of concentration," Blackburn Magistrates' Court heard.
Mr Fielding suffered a broken left leg and other injuries, spending two weeks in hospital after the crash, at around 8.10pm on October 17, 2022.
He has had to have metal rods inserted in his leg, lost his job and has suffered psychological damage and is in constant pain, the court was told.
Butt told the court in a statement: "I could not be more sorry."
Butt, of Bowdon, Greater Manchester, who admitted causing serious injury by careless driving at an earlier hearing, was also ordered to pay a Ă‚ÂŁ140 government surcharge and Ă‚ÂŁ85 costs.
John Dye, the barrister representing Butt, read a letter from the ex-Old Trafford favourite and England international, to Mr Fielding.
It said: "I have not stopped thinking about the accident and the effect it must have had on you and your family. I am truly sorry about the accident.
"I never set out to hurt anybody that night. What happened was a total accident. I checked and checked and checked again.
"If I could go back and change the events of that journey I would.
"I hope you can put this accident behind you. I could not be more sorry. I can only hope you can take this letter for what it is, heartfelt."
Mr Dye said Butt had stayed at the scene after the crash, had no previous convictions and had pleaded guilty.
He said Butt already does voluntary work with released prisoners and passed on "glowing" references, not read out in court, to the judge.
He asked for a fine for the defendant, saying him taking part in unpaid work as part of a community order would be a "distraction" for others on the course and create difficulties for the Probation Service.
But District Judge Alex Preston said Butt should not be treated differently to defendants.
She told Butt: "I have no doubt you deeply regret what happened and feel genuine remorse.
"I do feel the case is serious enough for a community order. It is a matter for Probation how a community order is managed.
"It doesn't seem to me you should be treated as an exceptional case because of your means.
"You have been unable to explain why you did not see the victim on his motorbike. You should not have pulled out at this junction.
"This was a serious error by you. All drivers must 'Think bike' at junctions.
"It is accepted by all parties however that this chain of events was set in motion by a momentary lapse of concentration by you."