Sammy Ameobi admits hit and run crash in court appearance | OneFootball

Former Newcastle United star Sammy Ameobi has now made headlines.

Shola’s younger brother was released by United back in 2017 and joined Bolton.

After two seasons there, Sammy Ameobi moved on to Nottingham Forest for a couple of years.

When Forest released him, the former NUFC winger then went to Middlesbrough but injury ruled him out for the full season, before he was then released by them in summer 2022.

Since then, Sammy Ameobi has dropped off the football radar but has now made not so positive headlines.

Now 32, Sammy Ameobi has pleaded guilty at Chester Magistrates’ Court to failing to stop after an accident and having no insurance.

The Mail report – 22 January 2025:

‘A former multi-millionaire Premier League footballer has swerved a driving ban after a hit-and-run road accident while racing to a new job as a £360-a-week apprentice.

Ex-Newcastle United forward Sammy Ameobi, 32, left teenager Beth Egerton needing A&E hospital treatment after smashing his Audi E-Tron car with a personalised plate into her Citroen C1.

He fled the scene of the morning rush-hour crash at a roundabout in Northwich, Cheshire – with 19-year old casualty Ms Egerton stranded in the wreckage.

He explained how he had just started a new job as an apprentice earning £22,000 a year – and was in a hurry to get to work.

Ameobi, from Northwich, has now pleaded guilty at Chester Magistrates’ Court to failing to stop after an accident and having no insurance.

He was fined £240 with £181 in costs and victim surcharge, while his driving licence was endorsed with six penalty points.

Prosecutor Val Tonkinson described how the crash happened at 7.10am on November 12 last year as Ms Egerton stopped in the middle of three lanes at a roundabout.

Ms Tonkinson said: ‘When the lights turned green she went through the roundabout. There were further traffic lights.

‘At that point she was turning right when a vehicle collided with the right wing of her vehicle. It caused damage to her vehicle, to the right hand wing mirror.

‘What she says is she saw the vehicle but was not able to identify it other than it being a dark colour and a 4X4.

‘She did not see the registration plate. The vehicle then drove off. This was reported to the police.’

He explained how he had just started a new job as an apprentice earning £22,000 a year – and was in a hurry to get to work.

Ameobi, from Northwich, has now pleaded guilty at Chester Magistrates’ Court to failing to stop after an accident and having no insurance.

He was fined £240 with £181 in costs and victim surcharge, while his driving licence was endorsed with six penalty points.

[Prosecutor] Ms Tonkinson said that police used CCTV to identify the car, adding: ‘It was found that the defendant had no insurance in place at the time of the collision.

‘A form was sent to the defendant asking him to confirm who the driver was. The form was returned. It was admitted by the defendant that he was the driver at the time.

‘The defendant was not interviewed in relation to this matter. He is of previous good character – there are no previous convictions.’

Miss Tonkinson said there was no application for compensation, while the charge stated that damage to Miss Egerton’s car included ‘dents to the wheel arch of the right hand side of the vehicle back and front’ and the ‘right side wing mirror’.

As Ameobi was representing himself, a legal advisor in court assisted him and told the ex-player: ‘You have come to court indicating a guilty plea at the first opportunity. That counts in your favour.

‘You have never been in trouble before. I know you are the holder of a full clean driving licence. All of that goes heavily in your favour.

‘You have to get penalty points. The clean licence is going to be gone. The minimum number of points today is six points.’

Ameobi himself said: ‘Obviously, what I did was wrong. I understand that.

‘It was completely out of character. I panicked at that moment, to be honest with you.

‘I am not trying to make excuses for it. My wife and I were in the hospital with my son the night before – he had choked on medication he had for eczema.

‘I did not get any sleep. I had started an apprenticeship after quite a long time out of work with health issues and stuff like that.

‘I was rushing to get to work and worried about my son. I just panicked at that moment – that is all that was.

‘With the vehicle insurance incident, that was completely my fault. I have all the insurance documents with me.’

He described the private registration as ‘something of a sentimental thing’, adding: ‘I completely forgot to inform the insurance company of the change.