George Michael pled guilty in a North London court yesterday to being unfit to drive. He was being tried for an incident last October when he was found passed out with pot in his car. At first Michael faked out his lawyer by pleading “not guilty” to the charges, but when his lawyer gave him a look that meant business he change his plea to “guilty”:

When the charge that he was unfit to drive through drugs was put to him he replied ‘Not guilty’. His lawyer Brian Spiro shot him a glance full of horror, the singer realised his mistake and said: ‘No? Guilty. I am sorry, your honour.'”

Said Michael to the judge in Brent Magistrates’ Court: “I am perfectly aware that I did something very wrong and got into my car when I was unfit to drive. I was not in my normal physical state and I’m perfectly prepared to accept the correct punishment for that and I would have accepted it a long time ago. It was fairly predictable considering how much work I had done that week.”

The NY Post reports that Michael will be going to jail, and that it’s only a matter of how long. He is said to be scheduled for a sentencing hearing on May 30th. Earlier reports had his hearing date set for June 8th. Michael is scheduled to tour Europe starting at London’s new Wembley Stadium on June 9th.

I’m surprised that he’ll be jailed, and thought that was still to be determined. In my limited knowledge of the British justice system, gleaned entirely from following Pete Doherty’s criminal career, they’re rather lenient.

Maybe The Post knows that jail a sentence is mandatory in this instance. The arrest in October was the second time Michael was found passed out with drugs. He was let off with just a police warning for a February incident in which he was found slumped over the wheel with pot and poppers in his car.

Celebrity justice is swift this month. Nicole Richie is the next one to go down.

Thanks to Photorazzi for these pics of Michael outside court.