Shaming of a World Cup hero
Winning captain was more than twice the drink-drive limit as he veered towards parked cars in his Porsche
THIS summer he was the ‘proudest man on the planet’ after lifting the World Cup as captain of the French national football team.
But Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Hugo Lloris’s ‘spectacular fall from grace’ was complete yesterday as a court heard how he was found stinking of alcohol with vomit in his £140,000 Porsche.
The footballer admitted being more than twice the drink- drive limit and was fined £50,000 and banned from driving for 20 months. He is also expected to be docked two weeks’ wages – reported to be £300,000 – by his club.
Lloris, 31, was stopped by police in London last month. Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard the player had been ‘showered’ with drinks by diners at a restaurant to celebrate his World Cup success in Russia.
Lloris was driving his new Porsche Panamera in Marylebone, central London, on Friday August 24 when he was pulled over at 2am. Officers in an unmarked car had spotted the footballer driving at just 15mph in a 30mph zone. They saw the car veering ‘ towards parked vehicles’ and going through a red light, the court heard.
Lloris provided a sample containing 80 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath – the legal limit is 35.
Prosecuting, Henry Fitch said police found vomit in the car and Lloris had to be helped from the driving seat.
He added: ‘ Shortly before 2.20am on August 24, officers were on patrol in an unmarked vehicle. Their attention was drawn to a Porsche. It was not moving smoothly – we are talking about 15mph in a 30mph area.
‘It veered a number of times towards parked vehicles nearly clipping them. It then went towards a red light when officers decided to intervene.
‘Having stopped the vehicle, one of the officers went to speak to the man. They observed his speech was slurred. There was a passenger and evidence of vomit at Magistrate the scene.’ Amanda Barron told Lloris: ‘This was a very serious offence, as you know. There is evidence of unacceptable standards of driving.
‘You went through a red light and nearly hit some parked a passenger. So not only did you put yourself at risk but also another.’
Defending, David Sonn said Lloris wished to apologise for his behaviour.
He added he had been dining in a central London restaurant at midnight and had planned to get a taxi but changed his mind at the last minute.
Because of his World Cup success he had been ‘showered’ with drinks from fellow diners. Referring to the 4-2 victory over Croatia, Mr Sonn told the court: ‘On July 15, he was arguably the proudest man on the planet. ‘Just 40 days later he was arrested. He experiences the indignity of being handcuffed and put in a police station overnight. cars. You were also carrying The spectacular fall from grace is not lost on Mr Lloris.’ Joshua Harris, of road safety charity Brake, said last night: ‘It is disappointing to see that someone who is a role model to many thousands of football fans has admitted breaking the law by drink driving. ‘ We expect the captain of Tottenham Hotspur and his national team to be setting a good example, not flouting the law in such a manner.’