Former Australian cricketer David Warner has been convicted and fined A$1,500 for drink-driving after recording a blood-alcohol level more than twice the legal limit.
The 39-year-old pleaded guilty at Sydney’s Waverley Local Court on Tuesday over the incident, which occurred during the Easter weekend in April.
Warner was driving his family home from a social function in Sydney’s eastern suburbs when he encountered a roadside breath-testing site.
The court heard that Warner stopped his vehicle after seeing the testing site and attempted to swap seats with a female passenger before police approached.
He subsequently recorded a blood-alcohol reading of 0.104, more than twice the legal limit of 0.05. The offence was considered aggravated as children were in the vehicle at the time.
Judge Clare Farnan convicted Warner and imposed a A$1,500 fine. He will also be required to use an alcohol interlock device in his vehicle for 12 months. The device prevents a vehicle from starting when alcohol is detected in the driver’s breath.
Warner’s lawyer had sought to have the matter dealt with without a conviction, arguing that the former Australian opener had already faced significant public scrutiny and that the incident could affect commercial opportunities.
However, the court stressed the need to deter drink-driving, while the judge said she accepted that Warner was unlikely to reoffend.
Warner played 112 Tests for Australia and more than 250 limited-overs internationals. He currently works as a cricket commentator and captains Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League. (Newswire)