Former Middlesbrough striker and current Sunderland Academy coach Leroy Lita has been banned from driving for 18 months after admitting to drink driving. The 41-year-old was more than twice the legal alcohol limit when police stopped him in his Mercedes in Sunderland in January.
Details of the Incident
Lita was stopped on Shields Road in Sunderland at around 11:50 am on January 18. Police officers became concerned about the manner of his driving and pulled him over. Upon speaking with Lita, officers noticed the smell of alcohol on his breath and his speech was slurred. A roadside breath test was administered, which he failed.
At Southwick Police Station, Lita provided two further breath samples, with the lowest reading being 74 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 micrograms.
Court Proceedings
Lita initially pleaded not guilty to driving with excess alcohol, claiming the officer had incorrectly recorded the roadside test reading. However, at his trial at South Tyneside Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, June 23, he changed his plea to guilty.
Prosecutor Jonathan Stirland explained the circumstances of the stop. The officer, in a marked police car, was positioned behind Lita's vehicle and decided to stop it due to the manner of driving. The officer spoke to Lita, who had the smell of alcohol on his breath and slurred speech, leading to the breath test.
Lita's Statement in Court
Representing himself, Lita apologised, stating: "I was not driving crazily or anything like that but, as the prosecution say, I was over the limit and I accept that and I apologise for that. I help loads of young people and I have done that for 10 years now. I'm not this crazy drink-driver, that's not my character. I made a mistake."
Lita, who claims he now earns £30,000 a year working with Sunderland's youth, added: "I travel with kids going across the country to play games and I support them and help them develop. I'm also the father of two girls."
Sentence and Ban
District Judge Zoe Passfield fined Lita £777 and ordered him to pay £300 costs and a £311 victim surcharge. He was also disqualified from driving for 18 months. The judge warned him: "Do not drive whilst you are disqualified. If you do, that's a breach of a court order and it often results in a prison sentence."
Lita played for Middlesbrough between 2009 and 2011 and later moved into coaching. He now works as a coach at the Sunderland Academy.
