ENGLAND SCRUM-HALF Danny Care has been fined £3,100 and suspended from driving for 16 months following his arrest for drink-driving on New Years Day.
The headline-grabbing star landed himself in hot water with England and Harlequins bosses when he was stopped by police on the morning of 1 January and subsequently failed a breath test.
Care, who has already been fined £10,000 by Harlequins for the incident, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol at a hearing at Southampton Magistrates’ Court this morning.
The drink-driving arrest was Care’s second brush with the law in recent weeks, coming just three weeks after the 25-year-old was arrested and fined by police for drunk and disorderly behaviour.
Although Care started for Harlequins in Saturday’s Heineken Cup victory over Gloucester, the incidents have killed his hopes of an international recall for the forthcoming Six Nations and he was dropped from the England Elite Squad by interim coach Stuart Lancaster last week.
At this morning’s hearing, Derek Lott, chairman of the magistrates’ panel, said that they had reduced Care’s fine from £5,000 to £3,100 on account of his guilty plea. Care also agreed to attend 16 hours of drink-driving rehabilitation classes, after which his driving ban will be reduced to 12 months.
Care did not comment as he left the court.
