George Michael freed

2010-10-11 20:31

London - British pop star George Michael said on Monday that he wanted to "start again" after his release from a four-week stint in prison for crashing his car into a shop while under the influence of cannabis.

The 47-year-old Freedom singer was jailed on September 14 after his Range Rover smashed into a photography shop in north London in July, the latest in a long line of brushes with the law.

"I'm coming out here on my own so that you'll realise I just want to start again," Michael told reporters outside his north London home, hours after his release from Highpoint Prison in Suffolk, eastern England.

He said it was "fantastic" to be free and that it was a "beautiful day".

Michael, whose real name is Georgios Panayiotou, served half of an eight-week sentence imposed by a judge and will be under strict conditions for the remaining four weeks.

He has also been banned from driving for five years and was forced to pay fines and costs worth about £1 365.

The singer - who first found fame in 1980s pop group Wham! and has gone on to sell more than 100 million records worldwide - has fought a long battle with drugs.

- AFP