Rachel Stevens, of S Club fame, emotionally recounted a traumatic mugging incident from 15 years ago, revealing how it still haunts her with ongoing PTSD. In an attempt to avoid a driving ban, the singer, now 45, tearfully detailed the harrowing attack at her North London residence.

The court witnessed her tears as she described the sheer terror she experienced during the assault, followed by another distressing incident weeks later when she found herself caught up in a shooting at a restaurant.

Despite her emotional plea and her admission of struggling with anxiety and PTSD, Rachel’s request to retain her driving license, despite accumulating 21 speeding points since 2019, was turned down by magistrates. They imposed a six-month driving ban along with fines totaling £2,900, dismissing her plea despite her concerns about the impact on her upcoming S Club tour and the difficulties it would pose for her children’s school run.

Rachel expressed remorse, stating, ‘I’ve absolutely learned my lesson, without a doubt.’

The haunting 2009 mugging involved an assailant grabbing her neck upon her return home from shopping. Recalling the terrifying moment at Willesden Magistrates’ Court, she detailed, ‘I was attacked in my flat. A man jumped into my front door. He had his hand around my mouth and his arm around my neck.’

Following this traumatic event, she found herself faced with another terrifying situation when a gunman entered a restaurant where she was dining with family, prompting her to seek shelter under a table as shots were fired. These back-to-back incidents significantly impacted her mental health, causing severe post-traumatic stress, rendering her fearful of leaving her home and wary of strangers, especially in cars.

Rachel revealed her avoidance of taxis and the underground due to anxiety and argued that a driving ban would cause ‘exceptional hardship,’ citing the breakdown of her 12-year marriage and the upheaval experienced by her two daughters over the past year.

Her recent run-ins with the law involved speeding violations, one at 41mph in a 20mph zone and another at 42mph, where magistrates emphasized the danger posed to pedestrians and cyclists.

Despite Rachel’s plea, the court concluded that she hadn’t sufficiently demonstrated ‘exceptional hardship,’ advising her to consider hiring a driver for the duration of the disqualification period.

Facing a six-month driving ban and fines totaling £2,900, Rachel, who recently faced the loss of bandmate Paul Cattermole and underwent a breakup with her husband, Alex Bourne, now navigates the aftermath of this legal setback.