David Warner pleads guilty to drink-driving in Sydney
Sydney, July 22 (IANS/GURPUNEET SIDHU) Former Australia opener David Warner on Wednesday pleaded guilty to a drink-driving charge in a Sydney court and will be sentenced later this year. Warner, who currently serves as the captain of the Sydney Thunder franchise in Australia’s domestic T20 Big Bash League (BBL), did not appear in person during the court proceedings.
Instead, his legal counsel Bobby Hill appeared at the Sydney court to formally enter a guilty plea on his behalf to one count of ‘middle range’ drink-driving. The incident unfolded when on April 5, also Easter Sunday, Warner, behind the wheel of a van, drew attention after stopping short of a random breath-testing site.
Warner had returned him mid-season from Pakistan, where he was captaining the Karachi Kings franchise in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Police officers then took his roadside breath test, where Warner recorded more than double the legal blood alcohol limit. He was arrested and then brought to a police station for formal processing.
“So many of us make those poor decisions. I think what’s important is accepting and being accountable for those poor decisions. It doesn’t matter if you’re a tradesman, a doctor or one of the best opening batsmen in the world, that danger exists for every one of us. He knows what he did was wrong. He accepts that was a reckless decision, a foolish decision to get in his car instead of taking an Uber,” lawyer Hill told a hearing earlier this year.
The court has scheduled August 18 for handing down the final sentence in the matter, where Warner faces penalties under local traffic laws for the mid-range drink-driving infraction. His admission of guilt has cast doubt over his status as captain of Thunder for the upcoming BBL season. As of now, Warner faces a minimum six-month ban on driving, a possible fine of up to 2,200 AUD and a maximum prison sentence of nine months.
“The allegations are of course concerning and we take them very seriously. At Cricket NSW, we are strong advocates for safe driving, not drink-driving,” said Cricket NSW chief executive Lee Germon had said after his arrest. Thunder, along with Sydney Sixers and NSW Blues, are part of a state government campaign to deter drink-driving.
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