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Lewis Hamilton fined by Australian court
Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton has been fined by an Australian court and labelled a "hoon".
The McLaren star was found guilty of improper use of a motor vehicle and ordered to pay AUS$500 (£288).
Hamilton was caught by police in Melbourne performing stunts such as 'burnouts' and 'fishtails' two days prior to the city's Grand Prix.
The 25-year-old, who did not appear in court, pleaded guilty to the charges.
His lawyer Sandip Mukerjea said Hamilton had suffered "embarrassment, humiliation and distress" following the subsequent media coverage.
Magistrate Clive Alsop said: "This is about somebody in a responsible position behaving like a hoon [boy racer]."
However, he decided not to record a criminal conviction against Hamilton as it was his first offence.
Over the past few years Australia has introduced a series of so-called 'anti-hoon laws' designed to target anti-social driving.
Hamilton was unable to appear at the hearing as he is currently preparing for the upcoming Belgian Grand Prix, which takes place on August 29th.
Posted by Samuel Ball
