ZAFAR Rushdie, the son of author Salman Rushdie, has admitted drink-driving after police officers said they had found him asleep at the wheel of his car in Hampstead.

Highbury Corner Magistrates Court was told how the 35-year-old was nearly two-and-a-half times over the legal limit when he was discovered in his black BMW X5 whilst waiting at the traffic lights outside the Royal Free Hospital in August.

Mr Rushdie, whose father’s books include the controversial Satanic Verses and the Booker prize-winning Midnight's Children, was banned from driving for 17 months and fined £720 om Thursday.  

Salman and Zafar Rushdie

Top criminal defence lawyer Mark Haslam, acting on behalf of Mr Rushdie, pleaded for leniency from magistrates, claiming the outcome of the case could affect his client’s ability to enter the United States. 

It has been reported that Zafar Rushdie, a former Highgate School pupil, had been planning to marry classical singer Natalie Coyle, 28, in New York in September next year.

He was caught “100 yards” from his front door, the court heard. 

Mr Rushdie was arrested two days before he was due to take part in the London Triathlon as part of a year-long fundraising campaign to run 15 half-marathons and triathlons to raise money for inner-city children’s charity, Kids Company.

Prosecutor Emily Maunders told the court how officers became suspicious when the traffic lights turned green twice and the vehicle failed to move off.

She said: “They could see the defendant, he was described as either being asleep or having a medical episode. They banged on the window and there was no response. They continued on four or five occasions to bang on the window. He then appeared to wake, and he appeared confused and under the influence.” 

Mr Rushdie was taken into custody where he failed a blood alcohol content test. 

However, Mr Haslam  told the court: “The defendant does not accept that he was deeply asleep. The brake lights were on, he was in control of the vehicle. The officers exaggerated things. He clearly was distracted.”

He added that Mr Rushdie had found his experience in police custody a “salutary experience” and his remorse was “genuine”.

“In this case this is genuinely a person who has acted in a way that is out of character,” he said. 

“He works in PR, in public relations, and he had personal relation issues of his own which were troubling him. He is a regular raiser of money for charity. He had been working very hard. He was tired. He took a decision to drive back from work at Portland Place [near Oxford Circus] to stop with some friends and have a drink. That was a flawed decision in itself. It was not a sensible decision. It was compounded by a further decision to drive the familiar mile home. It is perfectly clear that he was at least distracted by these issues.”

He continued: “I do ask you to undertake a balancing exercise in balancing his good character, positive good character. There is a personal issue, travel to the US would be a trouble.”

He added that his client could pay the high fine because his income was “quite a considerable net figure”.

Chairman of the magistrates’ bench Mark Beattie said: “There is no discretion of this court, we must disqualify you. You will pay a fine of £620 – it would have been £930 if you had not pleaded guilty. Costs of £85 and a £15 victim surcharge.”

He added that if Mr Rushdie successfully completed a drink-driving course his ban would be reduced by 17 weeks.