Payne admits drink-driving charge
Wellington Phoenix defender Tim Payne has pleaded guilty to a drinkdriving charge after a shirtless latenight joy ride in a golf cart in Sydney and will also face a sanction from the club.
The New Zealand men’s football international issued his guilty plea to a mid-range drink-driving charge via email in the Manly Local Court on Wednesday and will be sentenced on June 29.
Phoenix general manager David Dome confirmed Payne and Oli Sail, who was a passenger in the golf cart, will receive an internal sanction as well, but hoped they would both be able to ‘‘contribute’’ when the 2019-20 A-league season resumes next month.
‘‘They put their hands up and they admitted to it – Tim Payne was especially remorseful,’’ Dome said yesterday. ‘‘Following that, we’ve been very supportive of the players, seeing them through this difficult period.
‘‘They’re both good individuals, they just made a mistake. We’re working with them and the players’ union to support them and we’re confident we will come out the other end and they will be better for it.’’
Payne was charged after breaking the Phoenix’s 14-day Covid-19 quarantine by leaving the team’s base at the Sydney Academy of Sport at North Narrabeen to drive the golf cart on a public road in the early hours of March 24.
Payne returned to New Zealand with the Phoenix after the incident as the A-league was suspended because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
A sentence can be imposed in Payne’s absence on June 29 if needed. The Phoenix squad is currently split between Wellington, Australia, England, and Mexico, but players are set to reassemble in Sydney within the next fortnight as the A-league eyes a return to action next month.