NafisaA footballer has been fined more than £2,000 after being caught drink driving following what was described as a “celebration” of his side’s Old Firm victory.
Dujon Sterling featured for Rangers in their 3-1 win over Celtic at Parkhead on January 3.
The English defender later got behind the wheel of his grey Mercedes AMG GLE 63 in the early hours of the following morning.
The 26-year-old was spotted driving in an erratic manner through Glasgow city centre before colliding with a barrier close to the M8 motorway.
Sterling, from Dowanhill in the city, was found to be almost three times over the legal limit and was handed a temporary driving ban.
He was also sanctioned by Rangers. At Glasgow Sheriff Court, he admitted a charge of careless driving after initially facing an allegation of dangerous driving.
He also pleaded guilty to a separate drink driving offence.
The court heard a witness observed Sterling’s vehicle strike a barrier and immediately alerted police.
Prosecutor Christa Lindsay said: ‘Officers saw Sterling outside the vehicle, on his phone, and approached him.
‘He said he didn’t suffer any injuries. He said he lost control (of the car), it veered towards the barrier and crashed into it.’ Officers believed Sterling was in a ‘dazed condition’ and he was taken to a police station.
A breath test was carried out and it was confirmed he had 60 microgrammes of alcohol within 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 22 microgrammes. He was arrested and held in custody until deemed fit to leave.
CCTV checks revealed Sterling driving around Royal Exchange Square and Queen Street at 1.13am and ‘narrowly’ missing another vehicle turning into a lane.
He was captured driving in an ‘uncontrolled’ and ‘erratic’ fashion, switching lanes without signalling and travelling on the wrong side of the road at a ‘significant speed’ before the 1.30am crash.
Ms Lindsay said Sterling himself contacted police to report he had been involved in a crash.
Defence solicitor Ronnie Simpson told the court: ‘He (Sterling) is under no illusion he should not have been driving. He is a first offender and is very remorseful for his actions.
‘He is not someone who will be before the court again.’
Sterling was initially disqualified from driving between January and April but was permitted back on the road following a hearing last month. However, Mr Simpson said Sterling has not driven since the incident.
Sheriff Mary Shields imposed a £2,250 fine and handed down a 12-month driving ban.
The sheriff also offered him the chance to complete a drink driving rehabilitation course, which would reduce his ban upon completion.
Nafisa
