• City striker failed to respond to letters about speeding • Court hears he did not recognise the word 'constabulary'

This article is more than 7 years old

This article is more than 7 years old

The Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez has been disqualified from driving for six months after he failed to understand the word "constabulary" on official letters from the police.

Tevez, 28, was disqualified from driving and ordered to pay a total in fines and costs of £1,540 at a hearing at Manchester magistrates' court.

The striker, who did not attend the hearing in person, pleaded guilty to two counts of failing to furnish information which relate to incidents in which his car was clocked speeding.

The court heard he received letters from the police in relation to the offences but he failed to respond because he did not recognise the word constabulary.

Tevez also admitted not having a proper UK driving licence, but denied he was driving when his car was caught speeding.

The footballer's solicitor, Gwyn Lewis, told the court: "He does understand the word 'police', but not more complicated words. The letters are written from Cheshire Constabulary and the word police doesn't appear on it anywhere."

He said that was also the case in relation to the speeding offence in Morecambe, which was pursued by Lancashire Constabulary.

"The word constabulary is not one that is recognised internationally, but of course police is," Mr Lewis said. "The correspondence was not dealt with properly and that has resulted in these offences."

When discussing the possibility of a fine, Mr Lewis told the bench: "He is a footballer and in that regard he is relatively well paid."