Emma Watson, 'Harry Potter' co-star banned from driving at same court

Watson drove her blue Audi at 61 kilometres per hour in a 48-km/h zone in Oxford, on the evening of July 31 last year.

17 Jul 2025 11:00am

Watson drove her blue Audi at 61 kilometres per hour in a 48-km/h zone in Oxford, on the evening of July 31 last year. Photo for illustrative purposes only - Canva

LONDON - Actress Emma Watson and a Harry Potter co-star have been banned from driving at the same court, PA Media/dpa reported.

Watson, who played Hermione Granger in the film franchise, drove her blue Audi at 61 kilometres per hour in a 48-km/h zone in Oxford, on the evening of July 31 last year.

The 35-year-old, who has been studying at the University of Oxford, was banned for six months and made to pay a total of £1,044 (US$1,399) at High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

Watson’s lawyer, Mark Haslam, told the court that she is a student. "She is in a position to pay the fine,” he added.

Separately, Zoe Wanamaker, who starred in Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone in 2001 as teacher Madam Hooch, was caught speeding on August 7, 2024, on the M4 in Newbury, Berkshire.

The 76-year-old drove her blue Volvo at 74 km/h in a 64-km/h limit, the court heard.

She was also fined £1,044 (US$1,399) and banned for six months.

Wanamaker’s lawyer Duncan Jones said that she was not asking for "special treatment” and accepted the fine.

Both Watson and Wanamaker had nine points on their licences before the speeding incidents occurred.

District Judge Arvind Sharma, sentencing, endorsed three more points on their licences, meaning they are both disqualified for six months from now.

Neither attended their short hearings.

The Sun reported that Watson was filmed bargaining with tow-truck drivers when they hauled her Audi onto a flatbed in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, in February last year. - BERNAMA-PA MEDIA/dpa