David Warner fined A$1,500 and ordered to fit interlock device after Sydney drink-driving charge
Former Australia batter David Warner was fined A$1,500 and ordered to have an interlock device fitted to his car after pleading guilty at Waverley Local Court on Tuesday to a drink-driving offence in Sydney in April. The 39-year-old returned a blood alcohol reading more than twice the legal limit after failing a random breath test.
The court heard Warner was driving his family home from a social function when he failed the random breath test and that he stopped his car after spotting a roadside testing site, attempting to switch seats with a female passenger on Easter Sunday. Judge Clare Farnan told the court, "I accept Mr Warner is unlikely to reoffend," and added, "But regrettably, drink-driving is still a significant factor in many crashes in New South Wales." The judge also said the offence was aggravated because children were in the car.
Warner was fined A$1,500 (£1,109) and must install an interlock device that will prevent his car from starting if alcohol is detected in his system. He appeared before Waverley Local Court on Tuesday and entered a guilty plea to the drink-driving charge.
Warner's lawyer told the court the batter should be spared conviction because he had suffered additional punishment as a result of media coverage which it was argued affected his commercial opportunities. The court heard this submission alongside the facts of the offence and Warner's guilty plea.
Warner retired from international cricket in 2024 and works as a commentator for Fox Sports Australia; he also covered Bangladesh's historic Test victory against Australia in Darwin. He is captain of Pakistan Super League side Karachi Kings and of Big Bash League team Sydney Thunder.
Sydney Thunder are part of a New South Wales state government campaign to deter drink-driving and Cricket NSW said in a statement: "Our organisation is a strong advocate of safe driving, including avoiding drink-driving," adding, "We continue to take this incident seriously, including educating all players on the importance of safe driving."
Warner played 383 matches for Australia across all three formats of international cricket. In 159 one-day international innings he scored 6,932 runs including 22 centuries, and in 112 Test matches he made 8,786 runs with 26 hundreds.
As ordered by the court, Warner must have the interlock device fitted to his vehicle, which will prevent the car from starting if alcohol is detected.
