Ex-Premier League striker Michail Antonio guilty of failing to name Lamborghini driver to police

Ex-Premier League striker Michail Antonio guilty of failing to name Lamborghini driver to police Michail Antonio is West Ham’s all-time top Premier League goalscorer - Bookmark Footballer Michail Antonio has been convicted of failing to identify the driver of his Lamborghini supercar when it was suspected of involvement in a motoring offence in central London. The 36-year-old former West Ham striker was charged by the Metropolitan Police with failing to assist an investigation after his vehicle was spotted being driven without due care and attention late at night in Pall Mall last November. Antonio told Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court he was not the driver that night, having allowed his Lamborghini to be loaned out by his cousin while he was away in Manchester. The footballer claimed he never received the initial police notice asking for the driver’s identity, suggesting it was lost in the mail. And he testified that he was "shocked" to discover, during February, that he had been charged with a failure to identify the driver. Antonio informed the court he asked his cousin to respond to the charge, believing he then subsequently supplied details of the driver. However, following a brief trial, Antonio was found guilty by magistrates of failing to give information relating to the identification of the driver of a vehicle when required. Magistrate Ian Comfort said the panel was certain the police letter had arrived, concluding that Antonio had failed to respond according to the legal requirements. With six penalty points already on his licence following a conviction for driving without insurance in July 2025, Antonio now faces the prospect of an automatic driving ban. Antonio was the registered keeper of the Lamborghini Urus when it was involved in an incident on Pall Mall at 12.38am on November 5 last year. The Met wrote to him on November 12 last year to seek the identity of the driver, initiating a criminal prosecution when they did not receive a response. In his evidence, Antonio stated he was visiting his children in Manchester from November 3 to 6 last year, having handed the keys to the Lamborghini to Tarique Josephs, who operates a company loaning out cars. He said he contacted Mr Josephs in February after receiving a notice of the criminal charge. "I was in shock", Antonio said, of his reaction to learning that he was being prosecuted. "How can I be charged with something I haven’t done? "This is the first time I was aware of that." He gave evidence that Mr Josephs "rents my car every now and then", telling the court: "When someone calls up for a Lamborghini, he will call me and say can I use your Lamborghini. "I worked out he had the car at the time, he has come across to me to collect the forms, and said he would send the details." Mr Josephs told the court he completed the response to the prosecution, entering a not guilty plea and providing a brief explanation that the car had been on loan. When questioned why he had not mentioned the other driver’s details on the form, he claimed to have included a copy of the loan agreement in the same envelope when posting it back. Antonio’s girlfriend, Sunita Bains, gave evidence that she manages the mail at their £2.2 million Buckinghamshire mansion, and stated she does not believe the initial police letter ever arrived. The footballer also faces allegations of failing to respond to West Midlands police concerning a speeding offence in the Lamborghini, with a trial on that charge scheduled for next March. Antonio’s footballing career suffered a severe setback in December 2024 after crashing a Ferrari in Epping Forest in Essex, causing a badly-broken leg. The star, a Jamaican international, spent three weeks undergoing treatment in hospital and was sidelined from the game recovering from his injuries for over six months. Antonio, who has played for Reading, Sheffield Wednesday, and Nottingham Forest, became West Ham’s top goalscorer in the Premier League during 10 years at the club. He left in summer 2025, joining Al-Sailiya in Qatar where he made four appearances, before signing for Watford on a free transfer earlier this month.