Australian cricketer David Warner will “accept responsibility” over a drink-driving charge after a Sydney court hearing on Thursday, Australian media reported.
The 39-year-old former opener faces a “middle-range” drink-driving charge. Court documents said police allegedly found him driving with a blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit in Sydney in April.
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Police accused Warner of driving a van and stopping short of a random breath-testing site. Officers then conducted a breath test, arrested him and took him to a police station.
Warner did not attend the hearing at Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court. Local media said he has not entered a formal plea. The next hearing is scheduled for June 24.
Lawyer says Warner will accept accountability
Defence lawyer Bobby Hill said Warner planned to accept responsibility for the incident.
“I can indicate that David will be accepting responsibility for drink-driving,” Hill told reporters outside court, according to Australia’s public broadcaster ABC.
“So many of us make those poor decisions. I think what’s important is accepting and being accountable for those poor decisions,” he added.
Hill also highlighted the risks drivers face after consuming alcohol.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re a tradesman, a doctor or one of the best opening batsmen in the world, that danger exists for every one of us,” he said.
Under New South Wales law, a middle-range offence applies when a driver records a blood alcohol concentration between 0.08 and 0.149. Australia’s legal limit for most licensed drivers is 0.05.
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A conviction can lead to fines, licence suspension and mandatory alcohol education programmes.
Warner remains one of Australia’s biggest cricket figures
Warner retired from Test cricket in early 2024 after a career spanning more than 15 years. He also retired from One Day Internationals after Australia won the ODI World Cup in India. However, he continues to play T20 cricket worldwide.
The left-handed batter scored more than 18,000 international runs across formats. He played key roles in several ICC tournament victories for Australia national cricket team.
Warner currently captains Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League.
His career has also faced controversy. In 2018, Cricket Australia banned him for a year after the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa. Later, officials lifted his lifetime leadership ban. That decision allowed him to captain domestic teams again.
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The latest case has drawn major attention across Australia because of Warner’s profile and popularity.
Legal experts in Sydney said Warner’s willingness to accept responsibility could help reduce penalties if he pleads guilty later this month.
Neither Warner nor Cricket Australia issued official statements after Thursday’s hearing.
