Former Australia opener David Warner on Wednesday pleaded guilty to drinking and driving after having been charged following a random breath test in Sydney in April. Warner’s lawyer had earlier told reporters that the 39-year-old had accepted that his actions were “reckless” and “foolish”. According to the BBC, the sentencing has been set for August 18 and Warner faces a potential prison entence of up to nine months, a minimum disqualification from driving of six months and a potential fine of up to AUD 2,200 (Rs 1.48 lakh).
Warner’s lawyer Bobby Hill had said in an earlier hearing that he had drunk three glasses of wine at a friend’s apartment before getting in his car on Easter Sunday. He admitted to drink driving via his lawyer Bobby Hill and was not required to appear in court in person.
“He knows what he did was wrong,” Hill had said earlier. “He accepts that was a reckless decision, a foolish decision to get in his car instead of taking an Uber.” “Warner had enjoyed three glasses of wine at a friend’s apartment before making that decision. 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,” Hill told reporters.
Hill had said at the May hearing that Warner knew what he had done was wrong. “He accepts that was a reckless decision, a foolish decision to get in his car instead of taking an Uber. 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,” he added. “His crime is, as I said, choosing a foolish plan A instead of a plan B.”
Warner’s admission of the crime has cast doubts on his captaincy of the Sydney Thunder franchise in Big Bash. He was also captain of Karachi Kings in the 2026 season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). “The allegations are of course concerning and we take them very seriously”, Cricket New South Wales chief executive Lee Germon said. “At Cricket NSW, we are strong advocates for safe driving, not drink-driving,” he added.
