The David Warner drink driving case ended in a conviction at Sydney’s Waverley Local Court on Tuesday, with the former Australia opener fined A$1,500 (£787) and ordered to fit an alcohol interlock device to his car before driving again. Warner, 39, pleaded guilty last month to a mid-range offence on Easter Sunday, when he blew more than twice the legal limit.
David Warner drink driving case: court told of attempted seat swap
Warner was driving his family home from a function, back in Australia after a Pakistan Super League stint with Karachi Kings. On seeing a random breath-testing site he stopped short and tried to swap seats with a female passenger, according to agreed facts read out in court, cooperating once police identified him as the driver. Judge Clare Farnan said the offence was aggravated because his children were in the car.
His barrister, Awais Ahmad, argued Warner should be spared conviction because global coverage had already punished him, telling the court the “media onslaught” had cost him commercial opportunities in markets such as India and Bangladesh. As the Guardian reported, Farnan found any harm to his image was a predictable consequence of his profile.
“I accept Mr Warner is unlikely to reoffend,” the judge told the court, according to BBC Sport. “But regrettably, drink-driving is still a significant factor in many crashes in New South Wales.”
The court was told Warner’s captaincy of Sydney Thunder, who front a New South Wales anti-drink-driving campaign, was under threat. Owners Cricket NSW said they continued to “take this incident seriously”.
Warner retired from international cricket in 2024 after 112 Tests and now broadcasts for Fox Sports Australia. He still captains sides in the PSL and the Big Bash League, where the coming season will show whether it costs him the armband.
