George Michael Given 8-Week Sentence, Fined For Drug Arrest

BY ON TOP MAGAZINE STAFF 
PUBLISHED: SEPTEMBER 14, 2010

Singer George Michael has been given an 8-week jail sentence and fined 

nearly $2,000 for driving while under the influence of drugs, the BBC

 reported.

The Faith singer's conviction resulted from an early morning July 4 arrest 

after he smashed his Range Rover into a Snappy Snaps 1 hour photo shop in Hampstead, north London. He is seen jumping the curb on closed-circuit TV footage obtained by officials. The crash reportedly occurred after the openly

 gay Michael attended London's gay pride parade and festival.

Last month, Michael pleaded guilty to the charges, which resulted in a 

six-month driving ban.

Two days after the arrest, the former Wham! singer issued a short statement, 

in which he said he wanted to apologize to his fans for “screwing up again” 

and promised he would “sort myself out.” The gay icon then added: “And to 

say sorry to everybody else, just for boring them.”

The pop superstar clearly was alluding to a long string of driving-related incidents going back to 2006.

Police found Michael slumped over the wheel of his car in a February 2006 incident. In 2007, he lost his driving privileges for two years after he smashed into three parked cars while under the influence of drugs.

Michael's 1998 arrest for lewd conduct in a Los Angeles men's room 

forced the singer to come out gay. He's since said the arrest was

 “a huge relief and it took me about a year to admit to myself that 

I had done it, deliberately.”