NEWS: George Michael Gets Eight Weeks In Jail

Singer George Michael has been sentenced to eight weeks in jail and fined £1,250 ($2,645) for crashing his car while under the influence of cannabis.

July earlier this year the singer was driving home in the early hours of the morning when he mounted the pavement and crashed into a Snappy Snaps photo shop in Hampstead, north London. Police found Michael, whose real name is Georgios Panayiotou, slumped at the wheel of his Range Rover vehicle and "spaced out" after the accident, they immediatley suspected drug use.

At a court appearance last month, the 47-year-old pleaded guilty to driving while unfit through drugs and possessing two cannabis joints.

As the singer arrived at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court in London today, fans screamed his name and tried to break through police barriers to get to him.

Judge Perkins said he took into account that Michael had checked into a clinic after the crash to seek help for anxiety, depression and insomnia, which had led him to depend on prescription drugs.

"I accept entirely that you have shown remorse for the offence, that you are ashamed of it, that you admitted it," he said, but added that a jail term was inevitable because of Michael's previous conviction.

But that it was "with regret" that he could not find mitigation to prevent a prison sentence from being imposed.

- Sourced from Heraldsun.com.au