Newcastle United footballer Joelinton was fined £29,000 after pleading guilty to drink driving in Newcastle Magistrates’ Court.
The midfielder must also pay fees and a victim surcharge, and is banned from getting behind the wheel for 12 months.
District Judge Paul Currer told Joelinton that he “sincerely hopes” he has learned from his mistake, adding: “This offending could, potentially, have had disastrous consequences for the lives of others, as well as yourself.”
Joelinton's fine was around two-thirds of the wage that the player earns playing for Newcastle United. The UK Sentencing Council guidelines state that a fine is calculated based on the income of the defendant.
Read more: 'I am truly sorry' - Newcastle United star Joelinton issues apology after drink-driving punishment
The Sentencing Council’s fine calculator is “designed to assist magistrates and judges in calculating the total financial penalty of a case”. It includes a range of bands for the fine, from no fine through to band F.
The sentence for a drink-driving offence can be affected by various factors, including the level of alcohol in an offender’s system.
Newcastle Magistrates' Court heard that Joelinton gave a reading of 43mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.
The official sentencing guidelines say that for between 35mcg and 59mcg per 100ml the starting point is recommended to be a band C fine of up to £500 and disqualification of between 12 and 16 months, or a band B fine which is a full week's wage.
However, it is important to note that the fine does come at the judge’s discretion. Geoffrey Forrester, defending, confirmed in court that Joelinton earns £43,000 a week, meaning the judge decided to fine him around two-thirds of what he earns in a week.
The sentencing guidelines state that if a guilty plea is entered, a judge or magistrate may choose to reduce the fine by a tenth, a quarter or a third. Joelinton pleaded guilty to the offence and released a statement saying he is 'truly sorry' so the fine was set at 67% of his weekly wage. He will also pay a surcharge and fees are to be added.
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North East Today: Joelinton fined after pleading guilty to drink-driving
