Chelsea and England footballer Danny Drinkwater has been banned from driving for 20 months after admitting drink-driving.
The 29-year-old was found to be two and a half times the legal alcohol limit when he crashed his £125,000 Range Rover through a wall on Ashley Road in Mere last month, causing £50,000 worth of damage to his car.
The former Altrincham College of Arts pupil had earlier attended a charity event at Victors in Hale, and had two women passengers in the car with him.
Drinkwater, of Bollington Lane in Nether Alderley, was arrested at the scene after giving a reading of 87 microgrammes of alcohol, with the legal limit 35 microgrammes.
He has also been ordered to carry out 70 hours’ community service.
Drinkwater, of Bollington Lane, Nether Alderley, Cheshire, had two women passengers in the car when he crashed it in nearby Mere at around 12.30am on 8 April, suffering a graze to his head.
Prosecutor Subi Chowdhury told Stockport Magistrates’ Court today that Drinkwater had himself called emergency services after the crash and admitted drinking alcohol to police officers.
Danny Drinkwater has been banned from driving for 20 months and must carry out 70 hours’ community service after admitting drink-driving. pic.twitter.com/6uGGZTEO7S
— Simon Phillips (@SiPhillipsSport) May 13, 2019
Robin Sellars, defending, said: “He only had himself to blame. He understands he’s done wrong.
“He absolutely knows he’s going to be banned. He knows he’s lost the privilege of driving. He instructs me he will be employing a driver.”
Drinkwater signed for Chelsea from league-winning Leicester City in 2017 for £35 million but has not played a competitive game for 13 months.
He started his football career as a trainee with Manchester United and has also played for Watford, Huddersfield, Cardiff and Barnsley.
