Abigail Dougherty/Stuff
Israel Adesanya after his court appearance.
UFC star Israel Adesanya was driving a Bentley and told police he’d drunk two cocktails with friends when he failed a drink-driving breath test, court documents released to Stuff show.
Adesanya appeared at the Auckland District Court last and admitted a drink-driving charge relating to the incident on August 19.
“I want to apologise to the community, my family and my team for the decision I made to get behind the wheel after drinking at dinner,” Adesanya said in a statement after the appearance.
“I am disappointed with my decision to drive. It was wrong. I know that people might follow me and I want them to know I do not think this behaviour is acceptable.”
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Trailer for Stylebender, a feature-length documentary about UFC fighter Israel Adesanya, directed by Zöe McIntosh.
Court documents obtained by Stuff reveal more about the incident.
At 11.50pm on August 19, Adesanya was driving a 2021 Bentley Continental GT on Wellesley St in Auckland.
Adesanya was stopped at a compulsory alcohol checkpoint and spoken to by police.
He was breath tested and a blood sample was taken. Analysis of that sample found Adesanya had 87 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.
The legal limit for drivers 20 years or older is 50 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood.
If a driver has between 51 and 80 milligrams per 100ml of blood, the driver can be fined and given 50 demerit points.
Because Adesanya’s alcohol level was 87 milligrams of alcohol, he faces a maximum 3 months’ imprisonment or a fine not exceeding $4,500.
When spoken to by police, he said he’d been drinking two cocktails with friends before driving home.
At the court appearance, Adesanya’s lawyer Karl Trotter sought a conviction not to be entered. Trotter said he would seek a discharge without conviction at the sentencing hearing.
Adesanya is due back in court in January for that hearing.
