Watch moment ex-Premier League striker Danny Graham smashed his Land Rover through a shop after downing up to ten pints and getting behind the wheel
- Danny Graham smashed his Land Rover through a Co-Op door in County Durham
- Read more: Shocking moment driver causes three-vehicle smash
This is the shocking moment that former Premier League striker Danny Graham ploughed his Land Rover into a Co-Op Village Store, while three times over the drink-drive limit.
The crash saw the ex-Sunderland star banned from drinking for 90 days, fitted with an alcohol monitoring tag and banned from driving.
The father-of-three, who began his career at Middlesbrough FC, said he ‘can’t remember’ why he got behind the wheel of the 4×4 on November 4, 2022, after drinking ‘up to 10 pints’.
Footage shows the black vehicle smashing through the glass doors of the Wynyard shop in County Durham, smashing bottles of red wine all over the floor and knocking over cabinets. Debris and glass are seen scattered across the floor.
Fortunately, the store was quiet, and no one was by the entrance as the 37-year-old hurled the car through the store front on the Teesside estate.
Ex-Sunderland star Danny Graham, who began his career at Middlesbrough FC, said he ‘can’t remember’ why he got behind the wheel of the 4×4 on November 4, 2022, after drinking ‘up to 10 pints’. Pictured: The Land Rover behind a police cordon
Graham, who has also played for Blackburn and Swansea during his career, said he had been playing golf before going to a friend’s house to enjoy some drinks. He is pictured in April 2013
It happened just over a minute after a customer left with their dog, the court heard.
On Friday Graham appeared at Teesside Magistrates’ Court and pleaded guilty to drink driving.
Graham, who has also played for Blackburn and Swansea during his career, said he had been playing golf before going to a friend’s house to enjoy some drinks.
He told a probation officer that he’d had ‘between five and 10 pints’ and had intended on getting a taxi home, but instead Graham got behind the wheel – for reasons he can’t remember.
Magistrates heard that luckily no one was injured in the crash and staff found the intoxicated former striker behind the wheel.
Graham, who attended court wearing a navy suit with slicked-back hair, could be seen looking down as CCTV of the crash was played in the Middlesbrough court.
Police were called and the 37-year-old was taken into the home of a witness to wait for the arrival of officers for his ‘protection’, prosecutor Mike Lawson said.
The former footballer was then taken to the University Hospital of North Tees, in Stockton, in an ambulance where he was subject to the drink drive procedure.
Footage shows the black vehicle smashing through the glass doors of the Wynyard shop in County Durham, smashing bottles of red wine all over the floor and knocking over cabinets. Debris and glass are seen scattered across the floor
Graham, left, spent three years with Sunderland before leaving the team in 2018. He returned in 2020 before retiring a year later. He is pictured with Sunderland during his first spell with the club
His blood was taken and was found to have no less than 230mg of alcohol in 100ml – the legal limit is 80mg.
He spent the night in a prison cell following the crash and the court heard it is the first time he has been arrested. Choi Cheng, mitigating, said: ‘Mr Graham is very apologetic.
‘He is deeply remorseful for this offence. He is a man of previous good character having never been to a court for anything in the past.’
Mr Lawson outlined that around £5,000 worth of damage was caused to the store, and it had to remain closed for five days – resulting in an estimated total loss of £32,000.
Mr Cheng added: ‘Mr Graham, due to this incident, experienced many things which he would never want to experience again.
‘This is the first time he has ever been in trouble, and I expect it will be the last time he will be in trouble.
‘This has had a dramatic effect upon him.’ Graham told probation that he described himself as being an ‘eight or nine out of 10 for intoxication in terms of how drunk he felt’.
He doesn’t not remember his thought process as to why he got into the car. The court heard how he remembers very little about the events of the evening because of the trauma of the crash and the level of intoxication.
Magistrates were told Graham is ‘fully aware it could easily have led to serious injuries or death of members of the public’.
He was slapped with a 12-month community order in which time he must complete 180 hours of unpaid work.
Graham will also be subject to a 90-day drinking ban which will be monitored through a tag – which will notify the authorities if he has even a ‘small glass of sherry’.
He had been banned from driving for 24 months – although will be allowed to complete the drink driver rehabilitation course which will reduce the disqualification by three months.
He must also pay a surcharge and costs of £199.
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