Comic Steve Coogan found not guilty of driving offence

Comedian Steve Coogan was found not guilty of a driving offence yesterday after it emerged a friend was driving his car when it was caught speeding.

The 46-year-old comic told a court it had “slipped my mind” that his friend was driving the Range Rover when it was flashed doing 39mph in a 30mph zone on the A259 at Kingsway in Hove, East Sussex.

Brighton Magistrates’ Court heard he was busy with TV and film work at the time as well as involved in suing News International and preparing for the Leveson Inquiry.