Express & Star

Dean Saunders jailed: Ex-Wolves boss locked up for failing to give roadside breath sample

Former Wolves boss Dean Saunders has been jailed for 10 weeks for failing to provide a breath specimen after being arrested on suspicion of drink-driving.

Published
Last updated
Dean Saunders managed Wolves in 2013

The 55-year-old, who managed Wolves in 2013 and is a regular on talkSPORT, looked crestfallen when he realised he was going to jail as prison officers entered the dock at Chester Magistrates' Court.

Saunders, who also played for Aston Villa and Derby County and was capped by Wales 75 times, refused to give a roadside breath test and, when taken to a police station, again failed to provide a breath sample, the court heard.

Dean Saunders arriving at court today

He pleaded not guilty at an earlier hearing but on Wednesday he admitted a charge of failing to comply with a roadside breath test and failing to provide a breath sample for analysis in Boughton, Chester, on May 10 this year.

Saunders was also banned from driving for 30 months and ordered to pay court costs of £620.

He said he had been out at Chester Races and had drunk two pints.

His lawyer suggested this may have "interacted" with the medication he takes for injury to his knees and his inhaler for his asthma.

Saunders during his playing days at Aston Villa

Police who arrested him said Saunders was slurring his speech and had to prop himself up against his Audi A8 car when he was asked to get out of the vehicle.

He was due to go on trial on Wednesday but indicated through his lawyers on Tuesday that he would not be contesting the charges and entered his guilty plea on Wednesday morning.

Passing sentence, District Judge Nicholas Sanders told him: "Throughout these proceedings you have shown yourself to be arrogant, thinking you are someone whose previous and current role in the public eye entitles you to be above the law.

"In fact the opposite is true - someone in the public eye should expect a deterrent sentence when they flout the law."

Sorry, we are not accepting comments on this article.