David Warner fined for drink-driving offence in Sydney

SYDNEY: Former Australia batter David Warner has been fined A$1,500 (£1,109) and ordered to have an alcohol interlock device fitted to his car after pleading guilty to a drink-driving offence in Sydney in April.

The 39-year-old recorded a blood alcohol reading more than twice the legal limit after failing a random breath test while driving his family home from a social function.

Waverley Local Court heard on Tuesday that Warner stopped his vehicle after spotting a roadside testing site and attempted to swap seats with a female passenger on Easter Sunday.

Warner must now install an alcohol interlock device, which prevents a vehicle from starting if alcohol is detected in the driver's system.

"I accept Mr Warner is unlikely to reoffend," judge Clare Farnan told the court. "But regrettably, drink-driving is still a significant factor in many crashes in New South Wales."

Farnan added that the offence was aggravated because children were travelling in the vehicle.

Warner's lawyer had asked the court to spare him a conviction, arguing that he had already faced additional punishment through media coverage, which had affected his commercial opportunities.

Warner retired from international cricket in 2024 and currently works as a commentator for Fox Sports Australia. He recently covered Bangladesh's historic Test victory over Australia in Darwin.

He is also captain of Pakistan Super League side Karachi Kings and Big Bash League franchise Sydney Thunder, who are involved in a New South Wales government campaign aimed at discouraging drink-driving.

"Cricket NSW is a strong advocate of safe driving, including avoiding drink-driving," Cricket NSW, which owns the Thunder, said in a statement.

"We continue to take this incident seriously, including educating all players on the importance of safe driving."

Warner scored 6,932 runs in 159 one-day international innings for Australia, including 22 centuries. In 112 Test matches, he amassed 8,786 runs, including 26 hundreds.