By George! Another Drug Charge
News flash: George Michael is a careless driver.
London authorities have lodged an additional drug count against the former Wham! man, stemming from an arrest in October when police found him passed out in his BMW with a small amount of pot in his possession.
Michael, 43, was initially charged with "being unfit to drive through drugs" and entered a plea of not guilty through his attorney in January.
On Wednesday, prosecutors in Brent Magistrates Court altered the charge to "driving while unfit through drugs," a small, but notable distinction, after determining that the entertainer had been motoring before his drug-induced nap. In addition, he was slapped with a new charge of operating a vehicle while on drugs.
Michael, born George Panayiotou, was busted in the early morning hours of Oct. 1, after police received reports of a vehicle parked at a North London traffic light. Witnesses said they were unable to wake the man inside by honking and banging on the window.
Officers discovered Michael slumped over and after waking him, administered a breath test, which the singer failed. A search turned up cannabis in his pocket.
The incident was virtually identical to one that occurred just months earlier. In February 2006, Michael was found napping in his BMW, while in possession of cannabis, liquid ecstasy and an assortment of sex toys. He was released with a caution.
Michael was also involved in an April 2005 accident in which he allegedly slammed his Range Rover into three vehicles on a street outside his North London mansion and drove off without telling anyone. No charges were filed in the bustup, which reportedly caused $8,000 worth of damage.
When he's not dozing off in automobiles, Michael has been on the comeback trail.
Following a highly successful, sold-out European tour last fall, his first live outing in over 15 years, the "Freedom" purveyor recently confirmed he'll be kicking off another run through the continent. He'll start with a June 9 concert at the newly refurbished Wembley Stadium in London (becoming the first artist to perform there), followed by dates in Denmark, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Ireland, France, Holland, Belgium and Italy.
No word on whether a U.S. trek, or for that matter a long-rumored Wham! reunion with Andrew Ridgeley, is in the offing.
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