Footballer Saido Berahino claims he was forced to drive while drunk through central London because he was fleeing from a robbery, a court heard today
The Stoke City striker, 25, is accused of being over the legal drink drive limit when he was pulled over in Bloomsbury at just after 3am on February 18.
Berahino was allegedly almost three times the drink drive limit, with 103 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 milligrammes of breath, when he was stopped.
Berahino, who was an England under 21 international before switching to represent Burundi at senior level, pleaded not guilty this morning during an appearance at Highbury Corner magistrates court.
His lawyer, Jake Taylor, told the court he will put forward a defence of “duress of circumstance” at his trial.
“The defendant, shortly before the arrest by police, was the victim of a robbery”, he said.
“This is the subject of a police complaint at present.
“During the course of the robbery, a number of items were taken from the defendant. Weapons were produced and the defendant was able to get into the vehicle and drive a very short distance indeed.”
Berahino claims he was ambushed as he left VQ, a 24-hour restaurant and bar, and police officers arrived at the scene to see the striker’s car leaving the scene.
The footballer was pulled over just a short distance away in Bedford Square, and he tested positive for alcohol in his system, it is said.
Prosecutor Tom Gill said there was evidence Berahino was injured when he was stopped by police, and he told the court expert evidence to challenge the breath test result is not expected to be called.
Berahino, a former Premier League striker for West Brom, has two previous convictions, including when he was banned from the road for a year in 2016 after being caught drink driving in Cheshire.
Mr Gill said there will be an application to use his previous convictions against him in the drink drive trial.
His current club Stoke, who are in the Championship, are said to be monitoring the legal case before deciding if to take disciplinary action.
District Judge Nicholas Rimmer freed Berahino on bail until a trial on May 15.
Berahino, who lives in Cannock in Staffordshire, denies drink driving.
The robbery allegation remains under investigation by the Met Police.
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