Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
FOOTBALLER’S DRIVING BAN PREM STAR’S BOOZE SHAME
World Cup winner Lloris seen veering his Porsche with vomit inside
PREMIER League star Hugo Lloris was banned from the roads yesterday after admitting to drinkdriving.
The World Cup winning goalkeeper, 31, was seen “veering” his Porsche supercar while more than twice the alcohol limit.
Police found vomit in his vehicle when he was stopped in Central London last month.
Magistrate Amanda Barron told the Tottenham captain: “It was pure luck you did not cause damage to other vehicles or pedestrians.”
WORLD Cup-winning goalie Hugo Lloris yesterday admitted drink-driving at more than twice the legal limit.
The Spurs and France captain, 31, was banned for 20 months and fined £50,000 – less than half his £120,000 weekly salary.
Lloris was spotted in central London “veering” his Porsche Panamera and doing 15mph in a 30mph zone in the early hours of August 24.
He was lucky not to have hit pedestrians while going through a red light in central London, less than six weeks on from his heroics in Russia.
Westminster Magistrates Court heard officers spotted vomit in the car, which was carrying an unnamed passenger.
Lloris, of East Finchley, North London, had to be helped from the vehicle. He pleaded guilty to being more than two times the legal drink-drive limit.
Sentencing the stopper, magistrate Amanda Barron said the fine represented the seriousness of the offence as well as the goalkeeper’s financial means, although details of his salary were not disclosed in court.
She added: “This is a very serious offence, as you know. Not only were you putting your own life at risk but also that of your passenger.
“It was pure luck that you did not cause damage to other vehicles or pedestrians in the central London area.”
Outlining the case, prosecutor Henry Fitch said: “Shortly before 2.20am, officers were on patrol in an unmarked vehicle when their attention was drawn to a Porsche.
“It was moving strangely and doing 15mph in a 30mph zone.
“It veered a number of times towards parked vehicles, nearly clipping them, before correcting itself. It then went through a red light.” He added the officers
WESTMINSTER MAGISTRATES
saw there was a passenger in the front of the car and vomit nearby.
Lloris was later “helped from the car”, and gave a sample containing 80 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit in England and Wales is 35mcg.
Defence counsel David Sonn said Lloris had been dining with “two friends” at a restaurant.
He had initially booked a taxi but it cancelled, prompting the footballer to drive – something described by Mr Sonn as “the first of a number of unwise decisions”.
Mr Sonn said: “On July 15 he was arguably the proudest man on the planet – having captained France to the World Cup victory.
“Just 40 days later, he was arrested. He experienced the indignity of being handcuffed and put in a police station overnight.
“The spectacular fall from grace is not lost on Mr Lloris.”
The accused, who wore a dark suit with no tie, spoke only to confirm his personal details and to admit a charge of drink-driving.
After sentencing, Joshua Harris, director of campaigns for charity Brake, said: “It is disappointing to see someone who is a role model to many thousands of football fans has admitted breaking the law by drink-driving.”