England rugby star Danny Cipriani banned from driving after drunkenly crashing £60,000 Mercedes following cocktail binge

Driving ban: Danny Cipriani
Dominic Lipinski/PA
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England rugby star Danny Cipriani has been fined £4,500 and handed an 18-month driving ban for drunkenly crashing his £60,000 Mercedes into a taxi after a night out on cocktails and champagne.

The 28-year-old fly-half drank four Espresso Martinis, a Vodka Cranberry, and a flute of champagne as he celebrated a man-of-the-match performance for England at Twickenham.

But when he climbed into his car, Cipriani was seen swerving across the road in Imperial Road, Chelsea, before the 5.15am crash.

Cipriani, the former boyfriend of model Kelly Brook, had “glazed eyes”, was slurring his words, and struggled to stand up straight when questioned by police.

Despite smelling of alcohol, the star insisted he was “pretty shocked” to fail a breathalyser test.

He hired drink-driving specialist lawyer Philip Lucas to try to beat the charge, using up four days of court time in a failed bid to discredit the breathalyser result and the arresting officers.

However, Chief Magistrate Howard Riddle today found Cipriani guilty of driving with excess alcohol.

He was fined £4,500, ordered to pay £3,120 in court costs and fees, and banned from driving for 18 months.

"There is ample evidence from independent witnesses that Mr Cipriani showed signs of being affected by alcohol", said the judge.

"At the scene of the accident, PC Ellsworth smelled alcohol, 'his eyes were glazed' and he appeared intoxicated."

The judge added he was satisfied the breathalyser was working properly and the failed test could be relied on, criticising Mr Lucas for his approach to the trial saying: "Drink drive cases should be far simpler than this".

Cipriani, who has been romantically linked to Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner this week, displayed little emotion as the verdict was delivered.

He told the court he had dined on sushi hours after notching up a 33-points tally in the England victory over the Barbarians.

Cipriani left the field clutching a bottle of man-of-the-match champagne, and went on to drink two Espresso Martinis with dinner at Eight Over Eight, in King's Road, Chelsea.

He then headed to the Libertine club in Oxford Circus, and admitted drinking a vodka cranberry, two more Espresso martinis and a flute of champagne before the early morning crash.

Taxi driver Muhammad Qasim told the court he slowed to 20mph as he saw Cipriani speedily approaching and swerving across the road.

“I was going in my own lane and I have slowed down, it was him who came from the left and came to the right when he hit my car”, he said.

He said the rugby ace did not stop immediately, and only came to a halt 200 yards away when he realised he had punctured two tyres in the collision.

Cipriani struggled to speak as he clambered out of his wrecked Mercedes and told Mr Muhammad “you hit my car, you hit my car”.

When breathalysed, he had 67 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath, nearly twice the drink drive limit.

Cipriani's arrest caused excitement in the police station as the rugby-loving custody sergeant congratulated him on his performance and told the star: "We will look after you", the court heard.

Cipriani was visibly distressed after his arrest, as he realised the press were bound to hear about the crash and his England prospects would be in peril.

He was later dropped from the team after a bust-up with the coach and missed the World Cup campaign.

Cipriani's lawyers said immediately after sentencing that Cipriani intends to appeal today's verdict.

Cipriani, of Grand Drive, Merton, southwest London, denied drink driving.

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