Footballer warns over drink driving

22/12/11

By Matt Gibson

A stark warning from a Premier League footballer has provided a timely reminder of the deeper implications of drink driving.

People who are caught under the influence of alcohol or drugs while in charge of a motor vehicle not only face higher car insurance premiums and the prospect of losing their licence, but also risk harming other road users and could face a stint behind bars.

This was the possibility facing Aston Villa midfielder Barry Bannan who feared he could be spending the festive period in jail after admitting four motoring offences including drink driving.

The Scotland international footballer was eventually fined £4,500 and banned from driving for 18 months but he knew there was a "strong possibility" that he could have been spending Christmas in prison. He is now backing a Christmas campaign warning over the dangers of drink driving run by West Midlands Police.

He said: "Loads of things go through your head at the time and up until I got out of the court case I was thinking the worst. I was thinking I could be in jail. It was down to the judge, so there was a strong possibility that I could have gone to jail."