By . Emily Allen . PUBLISHED: . 11:09 EST, 25 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 01:58 EST, 26 July 2012 . Sean Fitzgerald admitted speeding but was spared a ban after magistrates heard he needed to drive to gigs . The son of singing legend Tony Christie cried as he escaped a driving ban despite having 25 penalty points after a court heard he needed his car to carry his drum kit to gigs. Freelance drummer Sean Fitzgerald, 43, drives 20,000 miles a year for his father and other bands he plays with in Britain and Europe. His father Tony Christie is best known for his cult hit ‘Is this the way to Amarillo’. Since 2010 Fitzgerald has clocked up . 17 penalty points for speeding, driving with no insurance and failure to . provide information. Cannock . Magistrates Court heard he was caught on speed camera driving his . Volkswagen Golf car at 86mph in a 60mph zone on the A38 near Weeford, . Staffordshire, last November. A day later he was clocked driving at 75mph on the same stretch of road. On Tuesday he admitted two charges of speeding but was spared a ban after magistrates heard he needed to drive to gigs. He . told magistrates that he earned between £18,000 and £25,000 a year as a . freelance drummer but said if he lost his licence he would lose his job . Sean Fitzgerald's father Tony Christie (pictured) is best known for his cult hit 'Is this the way to Amarillo'. Mr Fitzgerald drives 20,000 a year for his father . Open road: The A38 near Weeford, Staffordshire, where Mr Fitzgerald was caught speeding . He added it was 'either feast or famine' in the music business and needed his car to drive his drum kit to gigs. The court also heard Fitzgerald, who lives in Kensington Oval, a gated community near Lichfield, West Midlands, was behind with his mortgage payments. He was fined £335 in fines and given a further eight points on his licence. He wept when he was saved from a ban. Chairman of the bench Mark Embrey told him: 'You should have been called in before now. 'However we are not going to ban you - but it means you will now be on 25 points which is very rare.'
Sean Fitzgerald drives 20,000 miles a year for his father and other bands .
By . Emily Allen . PUBLISHED: . 11:09 EST, 25 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 01:58 EST, 26 July 2012 . Sean Fitzgerald admitted speeding but was spared a ban after magistrates heard he needed to drive to gigs . The son of singing legend Tony Christie cried as he escaped a driving ban despite having 25 penalty points after a court heard he needed his car to carry his drum kit to gigs. Freelance drummer Sean Fitzgerald, 43, drives 20,000 miles a year for his father and other bands he plays with in Britain and Europe. His father Tony Christie is best known for his cult hit ‘Is this the way to Amarillo’. Since 2010 Fitzgerald has clocked up . 17 penalty points for speeding, driving with no insurance and failure to . provide information. Cannock . Magistrates Court heard he was caught on speed camera driving his . Volkswagen Golf car at 86mph in a 60mph zone on the A38 near Weeford, . Staffordshire, last November. A day later he was clocked driving at 75mph on the same stretch of road. On Tuesday he admitted two charges of speeding but was spared a ban after magistrates heard he needed to drive to gigs. He . told magistrates that he earned between £18,000 and £25,000 a year as a . freelance drummer but said if he lost his licence he would lose his job . Sean Fitzgerald's father Tony Christie (pictured) is best known for his cult hit 'Is this the way to Amarillo'. Mr Fitzgerald drives 20,000 a year for his father . Open road: The A38 near Weeford, Staffordshire, where Mr Fitzgerald was caught speeding . He added it was 'either feast or famine' in the music business and needed his car to drive his drum kit to gigs. The court also heard Fitzgerald, who lives in Kensington Oval, a gated community near Lichfield, West Midlands, was behind with his mortgage payments. He was fined £335 in fines and given a further eight points on his licence. He wept when he was saved from a ban. Chairman of the bench Mark Embrey told him: 'You should have been called in before now. 'However we are not going to ban you - but it means you will now be on 25 points which is very rare.'
drummer Sean Fitzgerald, 43, drives 20,000 miles a year for his father and other bands he plays