George Michael pleaded guilty on Tuesday (August 24) to driving under the influence of drugs and possession of pot in a London courtroom, earning the former Wham! singer a six-month suspension of his driving privileges and a threat of prison time if he is caught behind the wheel while under the influence again.

According to

href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100824/ap_on_en_mu/eu_britain_people_george_michael"

target="_blank">The Associated Press, the troubled former pop star (born Georgios Panayiotou), 47, admitted that he was driving while on drugs when his [article id="1642997"]car crashed into a photo shop[/article] on July 4 as he was returning from a gay pride event.

Police said they found Michael "spaced out" and sweating profusely with his pupils dilated after his car smashed into a Snappy Snaps shop in North London near his home in the early morning hours. The car's engine was still running when officers arrived, but Michael had to be woken up. Later tests showed that he had taken a "therapeutic quantity" of the antidepressant gamma-hydroxybutyrate, a.k.a. "the date rape" drug GBH, which can leave people powerless and groggy.

During his 15-minute court appearance, Michael entered a plea and Judge Robin McPhee banned the singer from driving for six months, saying he could be sent to prison if he is busted again. "It is a serious matter," McPhee said. "Your driving was extremely poor and there was an accident."

The judge noted that [article id="1643020"]Michael already had one conviction[/article] on his record for a similar incident three years ago in which he was found slumped over the wheel of his car while blocking an intersection while driving under the influence.