Brisbane Broncos winger Josiah Karapani has been fined $350 and disqualified from driving for three months after pleading guilty to a drink-driving offense. The 24-year-old issued an apology outside Holland Park Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
Karapani was charged with driving with alcohol in his bloodstream while holding a provisional license. His legal team informed the court that he had been drinking with friends on the night of June 27. The following morning, believing the alcohol had cleared his system, he drove his car and was subsequently pulled over by police on the Pacific Motorway. A blood alcohol reading of 0.037 was recorded.
In addition to the drink-driving charge, Karapani received infringement notices for driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle, failing to display P1 plates, and exceeding the speed limit by at least 11 kilometers per hour. The court heard that Karapani has no prior criminal or traffic history.
Magistrate Kerrie O'Callaghan described the offense as out of character for the young footballer, noting that Karapani would also face additional punishment from the NRL Integrity Unit. Karapani avoided a criminal conviction.
Following the charges, the Broncos announced that Karapani would not be available for selection for the upcoming weekend's match. This incident marks another off-field issue for the player this year. In March, he was fined $1001 for a public nuisance offense stemming from a verbal altercation outside a Fortitude Valley venue, which led to him being dropped by coach Michael Maguire.
