Rooney banned for two years over drink-driving
FOOTBALLER Wayne Rooney will have to carry out unpaid work in the community for his “terrible error in judgment” in drink-driving on a night out.
The former England and Manchester United captain was caught driving a woman’s Volkswagen Beetle in the early hours of September 1 when he was nearly three times the legal limit.
Admitting the offence at Stockport Magistrates Court yesterday, Rooney (31) conceded he had let his family and himself down “very badly” and had also disappointed his fans, as he received a two-year driving ban.
His legal team had asked District Judge John Temperley to consider whether imposing an additional community order would be “proportionate” as they highlighted his charitable work and the “unbelievable” media focus on him and his family since the incident.
But after hearing that Rooney was likely to be fined two weeks’ wages by his current employers, Everton FC, the judge said he was “not convinced” that a large financial penalty from the court would have the “same punitive effect” as a community order.
As part of his sentence, Rooney, of Prestbury, Cheshire must now complete 100 hours of unpaid work in the community in his local area within the next 12 months.
Afterwards Rooney said: “I want publicly to apologise for my unforgivable lack of judgment in driving while over the legal limit.”