Rangers player Dujon Sterling admits drink-driving after crashing into barrier just hours after Old Firm win
Rangers player Dujon Sterling was fined £2,250 and banned from driving for a year after admitting drink driving and careless driving.
The 26-year-old pleaded guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Tuesday to driving at “excessive speeds” on city center roads including Queen Street, Hope Street and West Graham Street and crashing into a barrier near the M8 motorway on January 4 this year.
The incident occurred just hours after Rangers beat Old Firm rivals Celtic 3-1 on January 3.
Sterling pleaded guilty to a charge of careless driving and also pleaded guilty to driving with 60 micrograms (mcg) of alcohol in 100 milliliters (ml) of breath. This figure significantly exceeds the legal limit of 22 mcg of alcohol in 100 ml of breath.
Sheriff Mary Shields imposed a 12-month driving ban, as well as a £750 fine for careless driving and a £1,500 fine for drink driving.
Fiscal depute Christa Lindsay told the court police were called to the scene in the early hours of January 4 following eyewitness accounts of a vehicle crash.
“The police saw the suspect on his cell phone outside the vehicle. He said he was not injured in any way. He stated that he lost control and changed direction before hitting the barrier.”
Ms Lindsay added that officers noted Sterling appeared to be in a “dazed state”. He cooperated but failed a roadside breath test and was taken to the police station.
CCTV footage presented to the court showed Sterling “driving in an uncontrolled manner and narrowly missing a vehicle” in the city centre. The prosecutor described his driving as “erratic” and highlighted a moment when he had to “brake hard” to avoid a collision.
The court heard the journey covered about 1.5 miles in an area with a 30 mile per hour speed limit. Although no speedometer reading was available, it was estimated that the vehicle was traveling “in excess” of the speed limit. Sterling was initially charged with dangerous driving, but this was later changed to careless driving.
Ronnie Simpson, representing Sterling, told the court the footballer accepted he should not have been driving that night.
He said: “His employer imposed a financial penalty on him. He was celebrating the end of an important day at work. He is under no illusions that he should not be driving. He was punished in some way by his employer.”
