Pennant receives suspended jail term for drink-driving

15 May 2012 21:36

Stoke City winger Jermaine Pennant has been given an eight-week suspended jail sentence after pleading guilty to drink-driving charges.

When Pennant was arrested back in April, his blood alcohol level was over twice the legal limit.

The former England under-21 man was also driving without a license and while serving an existing driving ban.

Pennant claimed that he was suffering from depression and stress, and the drink-driving was a result of taunts he was receiving at a Manchester nightclub.

His lawyer claimed that the incident was brought on by domestic problems surrounding a break-up with his girlfriend earlier that afternoon.

As well as the suspended jail term, Pennant was also banned from driving for three years.

The former Birmingham man was jailed for 30 days in 2005 and became the first player in the Premier League to appear on the pitch while fitted with an electronic tag.

Further notoriety was achieved when the winger had initially claimed to police to be former Arsenal team-mate Ashley Cole after his arrest.