“He’s too famous to use the bus” plea fails as ex-So Solid Crew member jailed for driving ban

Former So Solid Crew musician MC Harvey has been sentenced to 10 weeks in jail for breaking a driving ban.

MC Harvey (real name Michael Harvey) was spotted using his mobile while driving in Fulham in September 2015. Police discovered Harvey had been banned from driving for six months in July 2015, after racking up 12 points on his licence. Harvey initially denied the charges of driving without banned and without insurance, but eventually admitted to the offences when in court.

MC Harvey with So Solid Crew at the 2013 MOBO Awards (Photo by Ben A. Pruchnie/Getty Images)

When arguing the case Harvey's lawyer, Tomas Garvey made a "mercy request", claiming  a  sentence would spell the end of the rapper's promising acting career in the US. Tomas Garvey said: "It's a bad time for Mr Harvey. It seems every five years he makes some stupid mistakes with regard to driving. I have dressed it up as best as I can, but it's a mercy request. In the eyes of US immigration the word custody is fatal." Garvey also claimed that Harvey's time in the public eye made him too famous to use public transport. "It's not as easy for Mr Harvey to hop on a Tube or a bus. He used to be a member of So Solid Crew; that creates a complete cloud around performers." Unfortunately for the rapper, magistrates said they had no choice but to impose a prison sentence.