NEWCASTLE star Joelinton has been slapped with a fine after he admitted drink-driving after sinking two glasses of wine.
The midfielder, 26, was arrested on January 12 after being pulled over while in his £170,000 Mercedes Benz AMG G63.
Joelinton admitted to officers at the scene in Newcastle that he had drunk two glasses of wine earlier in the evening.
A breathalyser test showed there was 43mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.
The Brazilian admitted drink-driving at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court today.
It comes less than 48 hours after he scored the winner in the Magpies’ Carabao Cup semi-final against Southampton.
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The star was banned from driving for 12 months – although this can be reduced to nine months if he completes a drink-driving course.
Joelinton was also fined £29,000 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £2,000 victim surcharge – totalling £31,085.
The court was told the footballer earns £43,000-a-week – meaning it will take less than a week to pay the fine.
He issued a statement after the sentence apologising for his actions.
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Joelinton said: “Hi everyone, I wanted to acknowledge that I made a mistake and to publicly apologise to all the fans of Newcastle and all the people of this city. My actions unintentionally put other people in danger. For that, I am truly sorry.
“I will learn the lessons from his incident and will do everything I can to be a role model for my family, for football and for society.”
District Judge Paul Currer told Joelinton that he “sincerely hopes” he has learned from his mistake.
He added: “This offending could, potentially, have had disastrous consequences for the lives of others, as well as yourself.”
The court was told police had been sitting in an unmarked police car when their “attention was drawn” to a black Mercedes.
Jonathan Stirland, prosecuting, said: “The sergeant formed the view that the car was speeding or going too fast for the road. It caused him [the sergeant] to turn his vehicle around and followed the Mercedes on to the Central Motorway.
“He requested the vehicle to stop. The driver complied. While in a safe space, the officer spoke to the driver, who is the defendant before you today.”
He admitted drinking the wine and was arrested after failing the breathalyser test.
Geoffrey Forrester, defending, said the footballer was “utterly calm and compliant” and apologised for his antics.
The lawyer added: “If he could turn back the clock, he would.”
Joelinton was bought by Newcastle for £40million in 2019 from German side Hoffenheim.
He has since become instrumental for the Premier League team.
Manager Eddie Howe moved Joelinton from his position as centre-forward to a left-sided midfield role last season.
Since then, the footballer has gone from strength-to-strength.
Speaking about the player’s arrest, Howe said earlier this month: “It came as a shock. A difficult situation. Joe is very remorseful and was very upset. He knows the seriousness.
“I can’t go into too much detail but he understands his responsibilities. We are supporting him but understand the situation.
“‘Looking at Joe as a person, he is a very good professional and is hugely passionate about his career and the club. I was very much surprised by what happened.
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“We will back him and support him, while also educating him and helping him, that is important. He is very young, everyone makes mistakes. I think it is also important that we don’t overreact.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
