Former Australian cricketer David Warner has pleaded guilty to a drink driving charge stemming from a random breath test in Sydney. The Sydney Thunder captain was not required to appear in court on Wednesday after the offense occurred in April. His lawyer, Bobby Hill, confirmed that Warner admitted to the charge.
According to Hill, Warner had consumed three glasses of wine at a friend's apartment on Easter Sunday before driving. At the time of the test, the 39-year-old recorded a blood alcohol reading of 0.104, more than double the legal limit in New South Wales.
Warner's guilty plea was anticipated, as his lawyer had previously stated in May that the cricketer accepted responsibility and acknowledged his actions were reckless and foolish. "He knows what he did was wrong," Hill told reporters at the time. "He accepts that was a reckless decision, a foolish decision to get in his car instead of taking an Uber."
Sentencing is scheduled for August 18. Warner faces a minimum driving disqualification of six months, a potential fine of up to $2,200, and a possible prison sentence of up to nine months.
The incident has cast doubt on Warner's captaincy of the Thunder. Cricket NSW has stated that the allegations are concerning and are taken very seriously, emphasizing their strong advocacy for safe driving and opposition to drink-driving. The Thunder, along with the Sydney Sixers and NSW Blues, are involved in a state government campaign aimed at deterring drink-driving.
Warner was arrested while returning from the subcontinent, where he captained the Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League. This is not the first time Warner has been in the headlines; he was one of three Australian players suspended following the 2018 ball-tampering scandal in South Africa. An investigation by Cricket Australia found that Warner, then vice-captain, orchestrated the plan to alter the match ball using sandpaper and involved rookie batsman Cameron Bancroft. He received a 12-month ban from international and domestic cricket and was made permanently ineligible for leadership positions. In a separate incident in 2013, Warner was involved in a physical altercation in Birmingham with Joe Root, who later became captain of England.