Home and Away star Kate Ritchie’s husband has an extensive drink driving record

EXCLUSIVE: From riding a motorbike after downing a longneck to drinking five schooners and getting behind the wheel: The woeful DUI record of Home and Away star Kate Ritchie’s husband laid bare as he faces a new charge

  • Husband of Home and Away star Kate Ritchie has a track record of drink driving
  • Stuart Webb, 38, was allegedly caught drink driving at 0.083 on March 26, 2019
  • Webb has been convicted of similar offences twice previously in 2012 and 2017
  • In 2012 he got behind the wheel after having five beers and several vodka mixes
  • In 2017 he drank a longneck of Tooheys New before speeding 20km/h over limit 

The husband of Home and Away star Kate Ritchie had twice been convicted of drink driving before his most recent alleged offence.

Stuart Webb was allegedly caught running a red light in Sydney’s eastern suburbs on March 26 this year, before blowing 0.083 in a roadside breath test.

Webb, an ex-NRL player who married TV soap star Ritchie in 2010, was charged with drink driving and driving while suspended, and issued a court attendance notice.

While court documents stated this was Webb’s first offence, Daily Mail Australia can reveal the father-of-one has a track record of drink driving – having been found guilty in 2012 and 2017.

 

Stuart Webb (left), the husband of Home and Away star Kate Ritchie (right), had twice been convicted of drink driving before his most recent alleged offence

Stuart Webb was allegedly caught running a red light in Sydney's eastern suburbs on March 26 this year, before blowing 0.083 in a roadside breath test. He had previously been convicted of similar offences in 2012 and 2017

Stuart Webb was allegedly caught running a red light in Sydney’s eastern suburbs on March 26 this year, before blowing 0.083 in a roadside breath test. He had previously been convicted of similar offences in 2012 and 2017

Webb’s first offence occurred when he was caught mid-range drink driving after a Saturday night out in March 2012.

When police pulled Webb over they noticed he appeared to be affected by alcohol and performed a breath test, to which he blew in the mid-range.

He had spent the night drinking at the Bondi Surf Club where he had five schooners and an unknown number of vodka and cranberry juice mixes, he told officers.

In sentencing Webb, the Magistrate commended his regular fundraising efforts and also his participation in the traffic offenders’ program.

He was fined $800 and ordered to pay $81 in court costs.

More than five years later he was again caught drink driving after police noticed him speeding on his black motorbike at Mascot, south of Sydney, just prior to Christmas.

Court documents reveal that police observed Webb driving at 20km/h over the limit about 10.20pm on December 18, 2017, and pulled him over.

Officers again noticed he had ‘glassy and blood shot eyes’ and performed a breath test to which he returned a reading of 0.063.

STUART WEBB’S DRINK DRIVING TRACK RECORD:

MARCH 11, 2012 

Webb pulls into a random breath test at Taren Point, south of Sydney, in the early hours of Sunday, March 11

Police notice he appeared to have been affected by alcohol and he blew in the mid-range

Webb told officers he had drunk five schooners of beer and several vodka and cranberry juice mixes

He was fined $800 and ordered to pay $81 in court costs 

DECEMBER 18, 2017 

Just a week before Christmas in 2017, Webb was spotted speeding at 20km/h over the limit on his black Triumph motorcycle

Police pulled the ex-NRL player over and noticed he had ‘glassy and blood shot eyes’, and performed a breath test

Webb returned a reading of 0.063. He told police he had drunk a longneck of Tooheys New full strength beer and had not eaten

He was handed a $440 fine and had his licence disqualified for three months

MARCH 26, 2019

Webb was allegedly spotted running a red light in Randwick, in Sydney’s east on the afternoon of Tuesday, March 26

He was pulled over by police and underwent a breath test, returning a reading of 0.083

The father-of-one is charged with drink driving and driving while unlicenced and his matter is currently before the court  

Ritchie (Pictured) was one of the original stars on hit TV soap Home and Away, before taking up a role as presenter on Sydney radio station Nova FM

Ritchie (pictured) was one of the original stars on hit TV soap Home and Away, before taking up a role as presenter on Sydney radio station Nova FM

Webb played 88 rugby league games for Sydney Roosters (pictured), St George Illawarra and South Sydney. He retired at the end of the 2009 season and proposed to Ritchie a month later

Webb played 88 rugby league games for Sydney Roosters (pictured), St George Illawarra and South Sydney. He retired at the end of the 2009 season and proposed to Ritchie a month later

Webb was caught mid-range drink driving in 2012 and low-range drink driving just a week prior to Christmas in 2017

Webb was caught mid-range drink driving in 2012 and low-range drink driving just a week prior to Christmas in 2017

When asked if he had consumed any alcohol, Webb stated: ‘Yeah, I just finished one’.

He told officers he had drunk one Tooheys New longneck between 9pm and 10pm on an empty stomach. 

Webb pleaded guilty to low-level drink driving and was sentenced in Waverley Local Court on March 8, 2018.

He was fined $440 and had his drivers licence disqualified for three months.

Almost a year after he was sentenced for that offence, Webb was picked up for his most recent alleged crime.

Court documents state the accused was seen running a red light in his Subaru as he drove down Avoca Street in Randwick about 4.15pm on Tuesday, March 26, this year. 

Webb and Ritchie married in 2010 and welcomed their daughter Mae (pictured) in 2014

Webb and Ritchie married in 2010 and welcomed their daughter Mae (pictured) in 2014

Webb – who played 88 rugby league games for Sydney Roosters, St George Illawarra and South Sydney – was pulled over by police, who discovered his licence was suspended.

They performed a breath test and he returned a mid-range reading of 0.083.  

If convicted he faces a further six-month licence suspension plus up to 12 months in prison for driving on a cancelled licence. He is due back in court on May 7.

Ritchie and Webb were engaged in 2009 and tied the knot a year later. In 2014 they welcomed their daughter, Mae.

They have regularly made headlines in recent years for apparent marriage woes, but the couple deny any issues with Ritchie saying the rumours are ‘baseless’. 

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