Former England football captain Wayne Rooney has been banned from driving for two years after pleading guilty to being almost three times over the legal alcohol limit. The 31-year-old Everton striker described the incident as a “terrible mistake” during the hearing at Stockport Magistrates’ Court.
District Judge John Temperley sentenced Rooney to a 12-month community order with 120 hours of unpaid work and imposed the driving ban. He declined to issue a fine, noting that Rooney had already been fined two weeks’ wages by his club, Everton, reportedly amounting to £300,000.
The court heard that Rooney was stopped by police at 2am on 1 September after an officer noticed a faulty tail light on his VW Beetle. The car belonged to a woman he had met earlier at the Bubble Room bar in Alderley Edge. When asked if he had been drinking, Rooney said he had “a few”. His solicitor, Michael Rainford, stated that Rooney had been “a perfect gentleman” during his arrest.
In a statement issued after the plea, Rooney apologised publicly, saying: “Following today’s court hearing I want publicly to apologise for my unforgivable lack of judgment in driving while over the legal limit. It was completely wrong.” He also expressed remorse to his family, Everton FC, and his fans, and accepted the court’s sentence.
