Saudi playboy drove father's £168,500 McLaren supercar while high on cannabis

 
Shamed: Saudi Arabian playboy Mohammed Al-Sharif at court (Picture: Tony Palmer)
Tony Palmer11 March 2015
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A Saudi playboy was caught by police driving his father’s £168,500 McLaren supercar while high on cannabis through Hyde Park.

Wealthy Mohammad Al-Sharif, 22, smoked the drug before driving and was unsteady on his feet with slurred speech when questioned at 10.40am.

He pleaded guilty today to driving the McLaren MP4-12c 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 Velocita Wind Edition in West Carriage Drive on December 11 last year while unfit through drugs.

Student Al-Sharif, who lives off a family allowance, was fined £400 with £85 costs and was ordered to pay an £85 victim surcharge. He was disqualified for 12 months.

Smart ride: the McLaren supercar (Picture: Tony Palmer)

The supercar, which goes from 0 to 60mph in 2.8 seconds, had a make-over by German specialists DMC, which made it even more powerful and luxurious.

Prosecutor Tom Gill told Hammersmith magistrates that officers had seen the defendant “driving erratically”.

He went on: “A strong smell of cannabis came from the car, of which he was sole occupier. Al-Sharif appeared to be intoxicated. He was asked if he had been smoking cannabis and said he had at 7.30 that morning.

“He was arrested and taken to a police station. A search found a small amount of cannabis which he admitted was his. A blood test analysis showed the defendant had used cannabis.”

Al-Sharif, of Marylebone, who has studied in the capital since 2012, had an international driving licence issued in Saudi Arabia.

His lawyer Nicola Roberson told the court: “His family in Saudi Arabia pay his tuition fees and give him a living allowance. He has not come before the courts before and has no intention of doing so again.”

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