FORMER Ipswich Town star Titus Bramble has won his right to a re-trial on charges of speeding and driving without a full licence.The 22-year-old Premiership footballer had the convictions quashed by magistrates in Ipswich yesterday.

FORMER Ipswich Town star Titus Bramble has won his right to a re-trial on charges of speeding and driving without a full licence.

The 22-year-old Premiership footballer had the convictions quashed by magistrates in Ipswich yesterday.

Bramble, who now plays for Newcastle United, did not appear at his trial last month and was found guilty of the offences – including driving at 102mph on the A14 – in his absence. He was due to be sentenced yesterday.

But his solicitor, Ian Duckworth, argued there was confusion about whether Bramble needed to attend on the day he was convicted.

The £4.5million player only knew he should be at the Ipswich court yesterday after hearing about it on the radio and reading a newspaper.

He had been due to appear at the court at 11am, but Bramble was attending a charity event in the town at that time and eventually arrived at 2pm.

Sandra Dyer, prosecuting, opposed the bid to re-open the case but magistrate Bernard Hindes said he was ordering a fresh trial.

"The bench is disturbed at the chaotic manner correspondence has flitted between the two parties, but Mr Bramble has a right to a fair trial," he said.

Mr Duckworth said Bramble's representative Barry Warburton believed last month's trial date was actually set for a pre-trial review.

He added letters sent from the court to Bramble's home address in Adderstone Court, Newcastle, had been incorrectly addressed.

The trial last month heard police officers had clocked Bramble driving his BMW X5 at 102mph on the A14 near Sproughton on January 11.

The star was stopped and issued with a fixed penalty notice. The court heard that Bramble only had a provisional licence and had failed to display L-plates.

Mr Duckworth said Bramble would be denying the offences on a technical matter. The case was adjourned to next Wednesday to fix a new trial date.

Bramble, a former pupil of Ipswich's Holywells High School, joined Newcastle in the summer of 2002 after playing 62 games for Ipswich Town, where he came through the youth system. He has also represented his country at under-21 level.