He pleaded guilty to drink-driving and was also handed a ten-week suspended jail sentence and ordered to perform 140 hours’ unpaid work.
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The 59-year-old was spotted driving his Mercedes in the middle of a road, straddling a bus lane along the A4 northern perimeter road in London on Friday July 1.
Former England footballer Ray Wilkins has asked not to be judged for “the alcoholism problem that I have” after pleading guilty to his third drink driving offence.
The former England captain admitted drink driving and today told Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court he had no choice but to stay away from booze or face ruining his life.
A police auto was flagged down and the officer noticed Wilkins’ eyes were “glazed, he was unsteady on his feet and there was a smell of alcohol coming from him”.
Wilkins told the court he had drunk two glasses of wine during a football awards dinner in Dorset the previous evening before driving home. The legal limit is 35mg per 100ml of breath.
Wilkins was also ordered to pay £85 costs and a £115 victim surcharge. He had originally been due before the court last week but it was postponed after his lawyer said he was seeking treatment for his alcohol problems.
He revealed the condition, which he has suffered since 1990, to refute allegations he was drunk in the dug-out at a Liverpool game when he was assistant manager for Fulham.
Standing in the dock, Wilkins said: “Abstinence is the only way I can cure this situation”.
“That is why I didn’t return to the dug out after half-time as I needed to be close to a toilet”.
The member of the public flagged down a police vehicle on the night he spotted Wilkins drink-driving.
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At the police station, Wilkins was breathalysed, recording 100mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath.
