thecorner
01/03/2005, 5:57 PM
Arsenal midfielder Jermaine Pennant has been jailed for three months after admitting drink-driving while banned.
The 22-year-old, from Barnet, north London, crashed a Mercedes Benz into a lamppost in the centre of Aylesbury, Bucks, on 23 January.
He admitted the drink-driving charge, driving while disqualified and having no insurance, at a hearing at Aylesbury Magistrates' Court last month.
Pennant's lawyers said they planned to appeal against the sentence.
Chairman of magistrates, John Jakobi, told Pennant there had been no reasonable excuse for the journey and a custodial sentence was justified.
Wrong lane
Police stopped the footballer, currently on loan to Birmingham City, outside a leisure centre at about 0600 GMT.
He claimed to have lost control of his car while changing its satellite navigation system.
Tests showed his alcohol reading was 85 micrograms per 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35 micrograms.
Pennant was banned from driving for 16 months last February after he was seen travelling in the wrong lane in Paddington, west London.
'Extremely disappointed'
The ban was shortened after he attended a course and was due to be lifted on 19 February.
His defence lawyer Barry Warbutton said Pennant had thought he was allowed to drive after his aunt read out a letter to him from the DVLA.
Birmingham City had hoped he would get a lenient sentence that would allow him to continue playing football.
A spokesman said the jail term had left the club "extremely disappointed".
He said: "We will now be speaking to Arsenal about the future of their player."
The 22-year-old, from Barnet, north London, crashed a Mercedes Benz into a lamppost in the centre of Aylesbury, Bucks, on 23 January.
He admitted the drink-driving charge, driving while disqualified and having no insurance, at a hearing at Aylesbury Magistrates' Court last month.
Pennant's lawyers said they planned to appeal against the sentence.
Chairman of magistrates, John Jakobi, told Pennant there had been no reasonable excuse for the journey and a custodial sentence was justified.
Wrong lane
Police stopped the footballer, currently on loan to Birmingham City, outside a leisure centre at about 0600 GMT.
He claimed to have lost control of his car while changing its satellite navigation system.
Tests showed his alcohol reading was 85 micrograms per 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35 micrograms.
Pennant was banned from driving for 16 months last February after he was seen travelling in the wrong lane in Paddington, west London.
'Extremely disappointed'
The ban was shortened after he attended a course and was due to be lifted on 19 February.
His defence lawyer Barry Warbutton said Pennant had thought he was allowed to drive after his aunt read out a letter to him from the DVLA.
Birmingham City had hoped he would get a lenient sentence that would allow him to continue playing football.
A spokesman said the jail term had left the club "extremely disappointed".
He said: "We will now be speaking to Arsenal about the future of their player."