Former Australia opener David Warner has pleaded guilty to a drink-driving charge after being caught with more than twice the legal blood-alcohol limit in Sydney earlier this year.
Bobby Hill, Warner's attorney, stood in Waverley Local Court on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to one count of middle-range drunk driving. The former Australian opener will appear in court again on August 18 for sentencing; he was not present at the hearing.
On Easter Sunday, the 39-year-old was reportedly driving a van in Maroubra, in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, when he pulled over just before reaching a roadside random breath-testing site.
When police officers got close to the car, they tested the driver's breath, and the results were positive. Following his arrest, Warner was brought to the Maroubra Police Station, where a secondary study purportedly found that his blood alcohol content was 0.104. In New South Wales, the standard legal limit for drivers with a valid licence is 0.05.
Before choosing to drive, Warner allegedly drank three glasses of wine at a friend's residence. He had only consumed his last drink eleven minutes before According to his attorney, he had consumed his last drink just eleven minutes before police apprehended him. by police, according to his attorney.
At a previous court appearance, Hill stated that Warner would take responsibility for his conduct and recognised the gravity of driving after drinking.
“I can indicate that David will be accepting responsibility for drink-driving. He knows what he did was wrong. He accepts that it was a reckless decision, a foolish decision to get in his car instead of taking an Uber. So many of us make those poor decisions. I think what’s important is accepting and being accountable for those poor decisions,” Hill said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
"It's not a crime to have a glass of wine on the day of the Lord's resurrection. In fact, some would consider that completely appropriate. His crime is, as I said, choosing a foolish plan A instead of a plan B,” he added.
Before quitting international cricket, Warner participated in 112 Test matches, 161 ODIs, and 110 T20Is, making him one of Australia's most successful cricketers. He captains the Sydney Thunder in the domestic Big Bash League and is still involved in franchise competitions.
Before the upcoming Big Bash season, Cricket New South Wales and Sydney Thunder may re-evaluate his leadership role as a result of his guilty plea.
(ANI inputs)
