Paul Merson in the dock

[Legion]

14 month driving ban

Former England footballer Paul Merson has been given a 14-month-driving ban after pleading guilty to drink-driving following a motorway crash.

Merson crashed his Mercedes ML350 into a 38-tonne lorry after falling asleep at the wheel on the M40, near Warwick, Leamington Magistrates' Court heard.

The former Arsenal, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough midfielder was also fined £1,500 over the crash on 12 October.

Merson had 124mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood. The legal limit is 80mg.

He failed a roadside-breath-test at scene of the crash which happened about 03:15.

The Sky Sports pundit was returning to his Sutton Coldfield home after drinking at a charity event in London, magistrates heard.

'A few drinks'
 
His Mercedes hit the rear of the lorry, damaging the back of it.
 
Merson, 43, was also ordered to pay £105 in costs and a £15 victim surcharge by magistrates.

Merson, who played for England in the 1998 World Cup and managed Walsall between 2004 and 2006, was taken to Warwick Hospital and treated for a cut to his head after the incident, police said.

Prosecutor Philippa Cowley said Merson was among several people who called the police.

He was standing on the hard shoulder when two police constables arrived at the scene, said Ms Cowley.

"It was clear that he had got a head injury and he was very frank with the police," she told the court.

"He said that he had fallen asleep and had been at a charity do for children and had had a few drinks."

The Ministry of Defence confirmed the lorry involved in the crash was registered to the government department.

Merson has previously spoken of his long-term problems with alcoholism, drug addiction and gambling.

In 1995 he admitted his drink and cocaine addictions, while in 2003 he received help from the Sporting Chance clinic, set up by former Arsenal and England team-mate Tony Adams, after saying he was unable to stop betting and had run up huge losses, including £30,000 on the outcome of one football match.

[Matt C]

Great player but what an idiot.

[Hampshire Villa]

He needs some help, such a shame!

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Is 124mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood actually that high? Less than two glasses of wine?

Credit to Merson for his honesty with the police. He should think himself lucky he's alive or that nobody else was injured.

[lovejoy]

He should have told them his dog was driving as he drives like a two year old.

[dave.woodhall]

Is 124mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood actually that high? Less than two glasses of wine?

Credit to Merson for his honesty with the police. He should think himself lucky he's alive or that nobody else was injured.

It's 3 1/2 times the limit. You're thinking of the old 80 somethings per whatever.

[Phil from the upper holte]

He's gonna kill himself

[simboy]

Is 124mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood actually that high? Less than two glasses of wine?

Credit to Merson for his honesty with the police. He should think himself lucky he's alive or that nobody else was injured.

It's 3 1/2 times the limit. You're thinking of the old 80 somethings per whatever.

no thats not right - its 35ml in breath and 80mg  in blood

so its one and a half times (give or take) - cant accurately say "its 2 glasses of wine over the limit" - very dependent on lots of personal factors involved.

[ktvillan]

Great player or not he could have killed somebody.

[dave.woodhall]

Is 124mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood actually that high? Less than two glasses of wine?

Credit to Merson for his honesty with the police. He should think himself lucky he's alive or that nobody else was injured.

It's 3 1/2 times the limit. You're thinking of the old 80 somethings per whatever.

no thats not right - its 35ml in breath and 80mg  in blood

so its one and a half times (give or take) - cant accurately say "its 2 glasses of wine over the limit" - very dependent on lots of personal factors involved.

I never knew that - thanks. It's still too much to drive on though.

[rutski]

He needs some help, such a shame!

i agree, he needs to go to that sporting chance clinic which isnt available to ordinary people to get his life in order.

[wombat]

Is 124mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood actually that high? Less than two glasses of wine?

Credit to Merson for his honesty with the police. He should think himself lucky he's alive or that nobody else was injured.

I know this reading is blood but the variance in breath tests is amazing and depends so much on the person. I've breath tested a person who says they have had one drink and is over the 35mg limit about an hour after the drink, then i've had a guy who has sat in his back garden from 2 in the afternoon until 6 drinking strong cider (3+ litres he reckoned) and by 9 that evening when released he wanted to drive so we tested him he blew 25mg and then blew about 10mg at 10pm, he stank of booze but was legal to drive and was due to start his shift as a lorry driver at midnight!!

I've known people when trained on doing breath tests be told, go and drink as much as you can in an hour (4-5 pints) and then test them after the 20 minute rest period required by law and they would pass the test the levels would go up for a while in subsequent tests but some never hit the limit. Some people however blow massive readings after doing the same.

I'm not saying that Merse isn't a plank for doing this but it's quite interesting and quite hard to equate passing / failing a breath test with a set amount of booze, only way to be really sure is don't have any.

[joe_c]

My dad thinks Merson's worst crime is getting married twice. The silly old Catholic.

[adrenachrome]

He should have told them his dog was driving as he drives like a two year old.

It's a cracker!

[kippaxvilla2]

He was still very funny when Jeff Stelling asked him what Avram Grant should do differently at Chelsea to turn their fortunes around and he answered in a very low voice 'what you askin me for I used to be bad at managing Walsall.'