EX-PREMIER League star Hamza Choudhury has been pictured arriving at court today after being charged with drink driving.
The Leicester City midfielder, 26, was stopped by cops in south Nottingham in the early hours of the morning last month.
The Championship star was seen speaking on the phone as he arrived at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court.
Choudhury was fined £20,000 after a court heard he was caught drink-driving on the wrong side of the road in his wife’s Range Rover.
He was then arrested by cops after being pulled over in the early hours of January 19.
Choudhury was later charged with driving while over the alcohol limit, driving without due care and attention and failing to cooperate with a preliminary test.
Read More in Football
The footballer today pleaded guilty to driving while double the legal alcohol limit and careless driving.
He was also slapped with a 40-month driving ban, and ordered to pay a £2,000 victim surcharge and £85 in prosecution costs.
Defence lawyer Kally Sohata told the court Choudhury had shared a taxi home from a restaurant with a friend, but had returned in his wife’s car after realising he had left his phone behind.
Mr Sahota told the court: “He makes the impulsive and spontaneous decision to get his phone at 1.30am to 2am.
Most read in Football
“He wholeheartedly regrets that decision. I have already said he appreciates the enormity of it.
“He was on the wrong side of the road.”
During his mitigation on behalf of Choudhury, Mr Sahota stressed that the star pulled over quickly and there was no issue of him failing to stop for police.
“From the footage, there is not a soul on either side of the road,” the defence solicitor added.
“Mr Choudhury knows this was a grave mistake.”
Passing sentence, District Judge Sunil Khanna told Choudhury, who earns £12,000 a week: “I do accept that this will impact you and that you are extremely embarrassed by what has occurred.”
The star was told at court today that his 40-month ban would be reduced by around nine months if he completes a drink-driving rehabilitation course.
Prosecutor Ben Payne told the court Choudhury had a previous drink-driving conviction dating back to 2017, meaning the player faced a mandatory ban of at least three years.
Mr Payne told the court that a charge of failing to co-operate with a roadside breath test had been withdrawn.
Choudhury, who was arrested, had provided two breath-test readings at a police station.
The lowest of which was 71 mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, more than twice the limit of 35mcg, Mr Payne added.
Choudhury, who lives in nearby Nottingham despite playing for Leicester, is considered one of the best defensive midfielders in the Championship.
The £50,000-a-week ace played more than 50 Premier League games and won the FA Cup with Leicester City before they were relegated to the second tier last year.
He then went on to lift the Community Shield with the club several months later.
Choudhury was last seen in action in the FA Cup against Bournemouth on Tuesday night.
Championship outfit Leicester beat Bournemouth deep into extra time after Abdul Fatawu’s screamer.
Choudhury was on loan at Burton Albion when Leicester famously won the Premier League in the 2015-16 season.
But he has played a prominent role for Leicester this season.
The Foxes are top of the Championship after 34 games, with the midfielder making the matchday squad for every league match.
Choudhury was previously touted as a potential England pick, after representing the Three Lions at Under 21 level in 2018 and 2019.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
His car collection includes a £170,000 Bentley Bentayga and a £80,000 Range Rover which he reportedly bought on the same day in 2022.
It is unclear which of his motors the star was driving at the time of his arrest.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
