Tulisa Contostavlos broke down in tears as she pleaded guilty to drink-driving after crashing her Ferrari on the wrong side of the road.
The 27-year-old former N-Dubz singer was banned from driving for 15 months, after admitting being over the limit during the incident outside Southgate tube station in north London on 10 September last year.
She pleaded guilty at Highbury Corner magistrates court to driving with 54 microgrammes of alcohol in millilitres of breath – the legal limit is 35 microgrammes. She cried when she was asked to state her address.
The singer was ordered to pay a total of £1,185 and disqualified from driving. A charge of dangerous driving was dropped by prosecutors.
The court heard that Contostavlos had drunk two glasses of wine before the incident involving her Ferrari, which she has since sold.
Tarika Jayaratne, prosecuting, said the star drove “on the wrong side of the road” and hit a vehicle that was carrying two people. The court heard that, during her interview at the police station, Contostavlos said she was “sleepwalking” or “sleepdriving” at the time.
Contostavlos, who was held by police for 22 hours, is remorseful about what happened, her lawyer, Kirsty Brimelow, said. The QC said Contostavlos is “a talented young woman” who is set on launching an acting career, adding: “She has placed everything on hold because of this.”
Brimelow said the conviction will cause difficulties for the star in getting work in the US. She described the incident as a minor collision and told the court that the people in the other car were able to drive home after it happened.
“She immediately cooperated with police,” the lawyer said of Contostavlos, adding: “She immediately told the police that she had drunk alcohol.”
The court heard that the singer “hadn’t eaten much” before the incident, and Brimelow pointed out that she is of slight build. “She very much has learned her lesson.”
Contostavlos broke down in tears when she was asked to state her address. When it came to giving her postcode, the star wept and said “sorry” before sitting down.
Sentencing Contostavlos, district judge Gill Allison told her it was a serious matter. She ordered her to pay a fine of £1,000, costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £100, as well as disqualifying her from driving for 15 months.
