Timeline
Album Sep 26, 1969 • "Abbey Road" by The Beatles released in the UK
Article Sep 27, 1969 • Mary Hopkin to represent Britain for Eurovision
Article Sep 29, 1969 • Paul McCartney fined for careless driving
Article October 1969 • The "Paul Is Dead" conspiracy theory is growing
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Paul McCartney fined for speeding
Feb 07, 1969
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The Beatles & Co. partnership is dissolved
Jan 09, 1975
In September 1969, Paul McCartney was fined £25 for careless driving after a police officer had to jump out of the way of his Aston Martin in Bath. Paul, driving home to London from Exmoor with his wife Linda, became confused by roadworks and mistakenly accelerated into a single-lane bottleneck after misinterpreting police signals. He admitted the offence through his solicitor, who explained it was a moment of panic in unfamiliar territory. Earlier in the year, in February 1969, Paul had been fined £10 for speeding.
Driving fine for Beatle Paul
A policeman on traffic duty had to side-step smartly to avoid being hit by Beatle Paul McCartney’s Aston Martin. Yesterday McCartney, 27, was fined £25 at Bath, Somerset, for careless driving. His licence was endorsed. The court heard that he got mixed up at some roadworks in Bath, as he was driving home to London from holiday last May. McCartney pleaded guilty through his solicitor.
From Daily Mirror – September 30, 1969
Beatle Paul forced P-c to jump out of his car’s way
BEATLE Paul McCartney forced a policeman to jump out of the path of his Aston Martin car, it was said yesterday. It happened in Bath, as the pop star was returning to London from Exmoor with his wife Linda. Inspector John Maceey told Bath magistrates road works were in progress in the city on May 11. They caused single-line traffic.
A police officer signalled McCartney to stop and directed him to turn to the right. McCartney indicated that he wished to continue on towards London, but he was still signalled by the officer to turn to the right. The car suddenly accelerated into the bottleneck. The police officer had to move quickly to avoid it. It went so quickly that he was unable to read the registration number. The car drove off towards London without stopping, said the inspector.
Mr. Andrew Macfarlane, for McCartney, said the Beatle had not been familiar with that part of the road. There seemed to be complete chaos because of the road works. He got into the wrong lane and thought he was being directed onto another road which he did not know. In a moment of panic he accelerated into a single lane and some traffic made way for him.
McCartney was aware that he had done a foolish thing. It was a difficult situation: it was dark and McCartney misunderstood the policeman’s gestures. It was not a case of a personality flouting the law, he said.
McCartney, of St. John’s Wood, London, was fined £25 when he admitted driving without care and attention.
Police withdrew a second summons that he failed to give information as to the identity of the driver of the car.
He was not in court.
From Western Daily Press, September 30, 1969
