Former Premier League striker and Sunderland Academy coach Leroy Lita has been handed an 18-month driving ban after admitting to driving while more than twice the legal alcohol limit. The 41-year-old, who played for Middlesbrough between 2009 and 2011, was stopped by police on Shields Road in Sunderland on January 18.
Court Proceedings and Guilty Plea
Lita initially pleaded not guilty to driving with excess alcohol, arguing that the officer had incorrectly recorded his roadside breath test reading. However, at his trial on Tuesday, June 23, at South Tyneside Magistrates' Court, he changed his plea to guilty.
Prosecutor Jonathan Stirland told the court that an officer in a marked police car noticed Lita's driving and stopped him. The officer detected the smell of alcohol on Lita's breath and noted his speech was slurred, leading to a roadside breath test which Lita failed. At the police station, Lita provided a reading of 74mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, more than double the legal limit of 35mcg.
Lita's Statement in Court
Representing himself, Lita said: "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." He added: "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, a father-of-two, expressed remorse and noted his work with young players at Sunderland's academy, saying he travels with children across the country for games. He apologized again to the court, hoping his apology would be accepted.
Penalty and Warning
District Judge Zoe Passfield fined Lita £777 and ordered him to pay £300 costs and a £311 victim surcharge. She also imposed an 18-month driving ban, warning 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."
