DISGRACED

TWO footballers who caused a car crash that left Republic player Richard Keogh seriously injured have been blasted by a judge.

Derby County’s Tom Lawrence and Mason Bennett were both spared jail yesterday after pleading guilty to drink-driving.

District Judge Jonathan Taaffe told them: “Your club have stood by you in circumstances when many employers would have dismissed you instantly.

“You have brought shame upon yourselves, your family, your profession and your club.”

Southern Derbyshire Magistrates Court heard the pair left Keogh, their club captain and international defender, in agony in one of the wrecked vehicles.

Lawrence, 25, and 23-year-old Bennett had been out on a team bonding session in late September when they carried on drinking before being involved in a collision between their two cars.

They will each serve 12-month community orders, complete 180 hours of unpaid work and have been banned from driving for two years.

Keogh, 33, was a passenger in Lawrence’s Range Rover and suffered a career-threatening knee injury.

The court heard Bennett was nearly twice the legal limit – 64mg in 100ml of breath – while Lawrence gave a reading of 58mg.

DAMAGED

They both left the scene, leaving two injured passengers – one of them Keogh – in Lawrence’s wrecked motor. They returned 45 minutes later and were arrested by police.

Bennett’s lawyer said he drank a Jagerbomb earlier in the evening that made him sick.

The pair also pleaded guilty to failing to stop at the scene of an accident.

Lawrence’s lawyer said: “He throws himself at the mercy of the court. He does not duck or dive from his responsibilities.

“He made a gross, gross error of judgment. He made an incredible decision to drive. He damaged his vehicle and damaged someone else.”

The court also heard Lawrence had turned to alcohol following the death of his mother to “remove the deep sadness” and had become “quite dependent” on drink.

It was claimed going to jail would “mess with [Lawrence’s] head” and that Bennett, who has a four-year-old daughter, would “struggle to cope” in custody.

Lawrence and Bennett have since returned to action for Derby and the