Former Liverpool and Aston Villa footballer Dean Saunders is JAILED for 10 weeks for failing to give a breath test when stopped by police
- Dean Saunders has been jailed for 10 weeks after he was ‘caught drink-driving’
- Former Liverpool and Aston Villa striker was stopped in an ‘intoxicated’ state
- The talkSPORT pundit, 55, had initially denied both the charges against him
- Saunders, who lives in Cheshire, also been banned from driving for 30 months
Ex-Premier League footballer Dean Saunders arriving at Chester Magistrates’ Court today where he was jailed for 10 weeks
Former Premier League star Dean Saunders has today been jailed for 10 weeks for failing to give a breath test when he was caught ‘intoxicated’ in his Audi A8 after a day at the races.
The former Wales, Liverpool and Aston Villa striker refused to take a breathalyser when he was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving by police in Boughton, Chester, on May 10.
When taken to a police station, the 55-year-old again failed to provide a breath sample, claiming his asthma prevented him from doing so.
He said he had been out at Chester Races and had drunk two pints.
His lawyer suggested this may have ‘interacted’ with the medication he takes for injury to his knees and his inhaler for his asthma.
But police said Saunders was slurring his speech and had to prop himself up against his car when he was asked to get out of the vehicle.
Saunders was slammed by the furious judge who said he had been ‘arrogant’ throughout his trial and considered himself ‘above the law’ because of his role in the public eye.
The judge added: ‘In fact the opposite is true – someone in the public eye should expect a deterrent sentence when they flout the law.’
Saunders pleaded not guilty at an earlier hearing but today he admitted a charge of failing to comply with a roadside breath test and failing to provide a breath sample for analysis.
The star, who also played for Aston Villa and Derby County and was capped by Wales 75 times, was also banned from driving for 30 months and ordered to pay court costs of £620.
Saunders is also a regular pundit on talkSPORT (pictured). He had denied both charges
A separate charge of dangerous driving was dropped by the prosecution.
Connor Johnstone, defending, had told the court that Saunders suffered from ongoing asthma problem, and told officers about it as he refused to provide a breath sample.
But Kerry Pepperall, prosecuting, claimed Saunders had not mentioned it during his arrest.
A review of CCTV and body-cam footage had not revealed whether Saunders had told officers, the court heard.
Ms Pepperall said the footage showed ‘an intoxicated person’ who was ‘highly under the influence of alcohol’ at the time.
Saunders (pictured arriving at court today), was warned by the judge he faced a custodial sentence
He was due to go on trial on Wednesday but indicated through his lawyers on Tuesday that he would not be contesting the charges and entered his guilty plea on Wednesday morning.
Passing sentence, District Judge Nicholas Sanders told him: ‘Throughout these proceedings you have shown yourself to be arrogant, thinking you are someone whose previous and current role in the public eye entitles you to be above the law.
‘In fact the opposite is true – someone in the public eye should expect a deterrent sentence when they flout the law.’
In an illustrious playing career, Saunders was capped 75 times at senior level for Wales between 1986 and 2001, scoring 22 times. He is also a regular pundit on talkSPORT.
In 2016, Saunders was left with a parking fine totalling more than £1,000 when he left his car in a short stay car park at Birmingham Airport while he flew out to join the punditry team for the Euro 2016.
But as Wales made the quarter-final of the tournament, his car parking bill grew steadily by £100 a day.
A whip-round was started to help pay his fine after Wales’ unexpected success at their first-ever European Championship meant he had to stay on with the BBC, alongside host Gary Lineker.