Rugby star Danny Cipriani: 'I was fine to drive after champagne and two cocktails at breakfast time'

Denial: Danny Cipriani arriving at Westminster magistrates court today
Central News
John Dunne @jhdunne20 June 2016
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Rugby star Danny Cipriani today denied drink-driving — and told a court he had been “fine” despite downing a glass of champagne and two cocktails at a 4am breakfast.

Westminster magistrates’ court heard the 28-year-old’s Mercedes then crashed into a taxi, at 5.15am on June 1 last year, after a night out with friends.

Cipriani was accused of being so drunk that his eyes were “glazed”, he could not stand straight, and he was slurring his words.

He was breathalysed in Imperial Road, Fulham, following the accident and the reading ap-peared to show he had 67 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath — twice the drink-drive limit, Westminster magistrates has heard.

The day before the accident Cipriani had played rugby for England against Barbarians and the team had won.

Today the Wasps fly-half told the court he had been to sushi restaurant Eight over Eight in King’s Road at about 8.30pm, where he drank two espresso martini cocktails and a single vodka and cranberry juice before leaving at midnight.

Fellow England players Christian Wade and Marland Yarde were with him and he ate double portions of sushi and dim sum.

He then went to another venue, Libertines — but said he did not drink alcohol — then he went back to a friend’s house and had three hours’ sleep.

Cipriani said he returned in a taxi to Fulham to meet friends for a 4am fry-up breakfast at VQ in Fulham — where he drank a flute of champagne and two more espresso martinis. At 4.45am he took a cab to pick up his Mercedes so he could drive home to get his bags to go on holiday.

It was just after he set off that the crash happened. “I was not drunk... My speech was not slurred. My car was not swerving I was not driving fast,” he said.

When the roadside breathalyser test showed a positive recording, “I was a bit miffed,” he added. “I was shocked by the fact it was over [the limit]. On my face [the police] would have seen I was startled.”

Asked by his lawyer how he felt when he headed off in his car, he responded: “I felt fine.” On being taken back to a police station, “I ended up at a caged area. People were excited I was in the station,” he added.

Cipriani claimed he was not at fault for the collision and the taxi driver had veered into his lane.

The player admitted under cross-examination that his chances of playing for England again and his brand endorsements could be adversely affected by a guilty verdict.

The trial continues.

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