David Warner charged with drunk-driving, admits he made a reckless, foolish decision

Former Australian cricketer David Warner has been charged with mid-range drink driving after allegedly recording a blood alcohol reading more than twice the legal limit in Sydney, according to Australian Associated Press.

Police stopped Warner on April 5 before taking him to a station in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, where the 39-year-old allegedly returned a blood alcohol concentration reading of 0.104.

The former Australia opener and current Sydney Thunder captain in the Big Bash League did not appear in court on Thursday when the matter was first mentioned and adjourned until June 24.

Outside court, Warner’s lawyer Bobby Hill said the cricketer accepted responsibility for his actions and intended to enter a guilty plea at a later date.

“He knows what he did was wrong,” Hill said.

“He accepts that was a reckless decision, a foolish decision to get in his car instead of taking an Uber.”

Hill said Warner had consumed three glasses of wine at a friend’s apartment on Easter Sunday before deciding to drive.

“It’s not a crime to have a glass of wine on the day of the lord’s resurrection. In fact, some would consider that completely appropriate,” he told reporters.

“His crime is, as I said, choosing a foolish plan A instead of a plan B.”

The lawyer also claimed Warner consumed his last drink 11 minutes before he was stopped by police and alleged there was a 52-minute delay before the secondary breath test was conducted.

Hill said Warner was remorseful and expected to face the same punishment as any other citizen in New South Wales, the Australian state where Sydney is located.

“This case before the court is a reminder to everyone in the public about the dangers of self-assessments,” Hill said.

“I know David is looking forward to putting this matter behind him and focusing his efforts on re-contributing to those people in the community.”

The charge has also cast doubt over Warner’s future as captain of Sydney Thunder.

“The allegations are of course concerning and we take them very seriously,” Cricket NSW chief executive Lee Germon said after Warner’s arrest.

“At Cricket NSW, we are strong advocates for safe driving, not drink-driving.”

Warner retired from Test cricket in 2024 after scoring 8,786 runs in 112 Tests for Australia at an average above 44, including an unbeaten 335 against Pakistan.

He was also one of the central figures in the 2018 ball-tampering scandal in South Africa, which resulted in a 12-month ban from international and domestic cricket.

Warner’s matter will return to court on June 24.