Australian cricket great David Warner has pleaded guilty to a drink-driving offence after he was caught driving with a blood-alcohol level more than twice the legal limit in Sydney earlier this year. Warner’s lawyer, Bobby Hill, appeared on his behalf at Waverley Local Court on Wednesday and entered a guilty plea to one count of mid-range drink-driving.
The former Australia opener was not present in court and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 18. The incident allegedly took place on Easter Sunday in Maroubra, Sydney’s eastern suburbs, where Warner was driving a van.
According to police, he stopped just before reaching a random breath-testing checkpoint, prompting officers to approach the vehicle and conduct a breath test, which returned a positive result.
He was then taken to Maroubra Police Station for further testing, where a secondary breath analysis reportedly recorded a blood-alcohol reading of 0.104, well above New South Wales’ legal limit of 0.05 for fully licensed drivers.
According to reports, David Warner had consumed three glasses of wine at a friend’s apartment before getting behind the wheel. His lawyer previously stated that the former cricketer had finished his last drink just 11 minutes before he was stopped by police.
David Warner Admits ‘Reckless Decision’ After Drink-Driving Charge
Hill told an earlier court hearing that Warner was prepared to take full responsibility for his actions and acknowledged the seriousness of driving after consuming alcohol.
“I can indicate that David will be accepting responsibility for drink-driving,” Hill said. “He knows what he did was wrong. He knows it was a reckless decision. So many of us make those poor decisions. I think what’s important is accepting and being accountable for those poor decisions.”
He added that the risks of drink-driving apply to everyone, regardless of their profession, public standing or reputation.
“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 said.
The lawyer further said Warner conceded that driving after drinking, rather than arranging alternative transport, had been a “foolish decision.”
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