Juventus player Carlos Tevez has reportedly been excused from doing nearly six weeks of community service for driving while banned after he paid a fine of 3,000 pounds, which is equivalent to 36 minutes' pay.
The Argentine star was re-sentenced in the wake of his 7.6 million-pound transfer to the Italian club from Manchester City after he claimed that he was unable to complete his 250 hours unpaid work because of the move abroad, the Mirror reports.
Following his plea, Tevez, who earned around 200,000 pounds-a week at City, was instead handed the 5,000 pounds maximum fine, from which 2,000 pounds was knocked off in return for his prompt guilty plea and his completion of 28 hours unpaid work.
According to the report, Tevez, who could pay his 3,000 pounds in little more than half an hour based on his earnings, was banned for six months after he admitted driving while disqualified with no insurance.
However, Tevez's lawyers said that the order became unworkable when he was sold, adding that events overtook his control, which meant that his work permit was no longer valid, and he was unable to complete the order.
The report further said that Tevez had completed 28 hours at Macclesfield Community Garden Centre, where he helped adults with learning difficulties and was also pictured potting plants while wearing a high visibility jacket.
Accepting that circumstances were beyond Tevez's control, a judge said that the plea is only a technical breach and not a case of a footballer thumbing his nose at a court order.
However, Tevez's decision to swap his community service punishment was blasted by road safety campaigners, with Richard Coteau, from a charity 'Brake', saying that even though Tevez has broken traffic laws, which protect all road users, he had been allowed to exchange his penalty.
Coteau further said that the act has set a bad example, as Tevez is a role model for many youngsters.
