John Stones convicted over speeding while away at World Cup

John Stones has been convicted of speeding after he missed a police letter offering him a fixed penalty, with the case going ahead in his absence because he had left the country for the World Cup.

The 32-year-old was clocked by a hand-held device at 43mph on a 30mph stretch near his home in Knutsford, Cheshire, on 8 May, the day before Manchester City's 3-0 win over Brentford. He admitted being behind the wheel of his £150,000 Range Rover when Cheshire Police first wrote to him. A second letter, offering the chance to settle the matter with a fixed penalty and avoid court, went unanswered.

Magistrates in Warrington convicted him in the Single Justice Procedure last week, handing him four penalty points and a bill totalling £1,052: a £666 fine, £120 in costs and a £266 victim surcharge.

Stones set out his explanation in a letter to the court.

"Nothing to say about the speeding. The reason I am only responding to the offence now is because I represent our country for football and so I have not been home and seen any post. I sent off my letter on the 28th May to give my details, I went off to join England. We were there until the 19th July. I went on holiday and then moved to Milan, so this has been found by chance, as no one has been home for almost four months. This is the reason I also would not be able to be present as I no longer am residing in the country."

The timeline bears that out. Stones was named in England's 26-man World Cup squad and started the tournament opener, then featured against Mexico in the quarter-final and again in the semi-final defeat by Argentina, before England finished third. He signed for Inter Milan on a two-year deal after a decade at Manchester City, where he won six Premier League titles, the Champions League, two FA Cups and five League Cups. He has scored once for Inter since arriving.

A thigh injury has since kept him out of Thomas Tuchel's squad for the current international break, though Stones has said he has no intention of stepping back from England duty and remains firmly in the manager's plans.