England cricketer Graeme Swann said he was motoring off to buy screwdrivers to rescue a trapped cat when he was arrested for drink-driving, a court heard at the beginning of his trial Monday. The Nottinghamshire off-spinner, ranked the third best Test bowler in the world, was stopped near his home in Nottingham, central England, on April 2.
Nottingham Magistrates' Court heard how the 31-year-old Swann told police that he had discovered his pet trapped under the floorboards after returning home from a night out with friends. He then headed out in his white Porsche Cayenne luxury sports vehicle towards an ASDA supermarket branch when he was pulled over. Police Constable Steven Denniss told the court that he stopped Swann shortly after 3:00am because he was driving a high-performance car in an area hit by a spate of burglaries.
"Mr Swann stated he had been out that evening and had come back to find his cat trapped under the floorboards in his house. He had gone to ASDA to fetch some screwdrivers to remove some floorboards," the officer said. "His speech was slightly slurred but he was compliant. "He was slightly upset due to the fact of his cat and what had just happened." Denniss said Swann then admitted that he "shouldn't have probably been driving".
Swann had 83 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit for drivers in Britain is 80mg. The penalties for exceeding the limit are up to six months in jail; a fine of up to 5,000 pounds (7,830 dollars, 6,100 euros), and a minimum of 12 months' disqualification from driving. The bowler denies one charge of drink driving. The trial continues.
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