FORMER England and West Ham striker Andy Carroll has avoided a driving ban after he told magistrates that losing his licence would leave him unable to look after his five children.
Court papers show Carroll, 36, was driving while he filmed the Epping protests on his phone in July this year.
He admitted the one charge of using a mobile while driving.
The standard penalty for the offence is the endorsing of six penalty points, which would have resulted in Carroll being disqualified from driving under the totting procedure.
But the Dagenham and Redbridge forward pleaded exceptional hardship by telling officials at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court he would be unable to take his children to school or to hospital appointments without a licence.
Court records also show Carroll told magistrates he is going through a divorce and looks after five children, who are all under the age of 16.
Magistrates agreed Carroll and his family would suffer if he were to lose his licence.
Carroll, who lives in Epping, has scored twice in nine league appearances for Dagenham and Redbridge since joining the club in the summer from French side Bordeaux.
He scored 34 goals in 126 appearances for West Ham, and two goals in nine appearances for the England national team.
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