A Premier League star has been fined a week's wages and banned from the roads after causing a 5am drink-driving smash on a motorway.
Everton midfielder Jean-Philippe Gbamin, 26, failed a breath test after his Audi RS Q8 crashed into a Jaguar as he was exiting the M56 near his home in Hale Barns, Cheshire.
Tests revealed father of one Gbamin, who is currently injured, was over the alcohol limit.
At Manchester Magistrates' Court the player, who earns £100,000 a month, was fined £25,000 and was banned from driving for 14 months.
The crash occurred on August 8 after is believed Gbmain had just given a friend a lift home following a night out.
Tess Kenyon said: ''A PC Patel was asked to attend a road traffic incident at 5am and when he arrived, he saw two vehicles on the exit slip road on junction 6 of the M56.
''PC Patel spoke to the driver of the Jaguar who stated he had been driving off the M56 junction at junction 6, when the other vehicle had just crashed into him. Both had stopped at the scene and exchanged details.
“The Jaguar driver believed that the other driver might be under the influence of alcohol. PC Patel spoke to Mr Gbamin. He accepted that he was the driver of the Audi and that he had hit the other vehicle.
''Asked if he had drunk any alcohol, he said “yes, one”. He cooperated with the roadside breath test, which he failed. That resulted in him being arrested. He then cooperated with the intoxilyzer machine procedure.'
The test showed Gbmain had 52 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35mg.
In mitigation defence lawyer John Dye said: ''I ask that you keep the disqualification period to a minimum and what may allow you to do that is his guilty plea. He is absolutely devastated to be here.
''This isn’t his home country. He was born in the Ivory Coast and is a professional footballer. There is some press attention, causing him more embarrassment. Whatever happens here, he will be fined by the club as well.
“What happened at 5am that morning was that he had been out earlier. He had had some sleep but in the early hours, he was asked if he could take someone home. Because he had some sleep, and he felt okay to drive, he got into that vehicle. That was a huge mistake. It was a huge misjudgement.
“He has been injured for nearly two years. He signed two years ago for Everton but has only played nearly two games, then got injured. He’s lived in the UK with very little in terms of friends and support although that's not an excuse for finding himself here.
''He was asked to stay at the scene by the other driver and the damage to the vehicle was very, very limited - it was paintwork. That will all be settled by the insurance and he gave his details.
“He has a child who is 15 months old, a son and his family are in France and Germany. He does charity work and some of his income, he gives to charity, to African nurseries in the Ivory Coast. His net income is £25,000 a week after tax.”
When asked if he was wanted to say anything, Gbmain who was also ordered to pay £275 in costs and surcharges said: “I think my lawyer has said everything. I am sorry."
JP Susanne O'Connell told him: ''Drink driving is considered to be a very serious offence. On the day in question, you collided with a Jaguar whilst over the alcohol limit and you are very fortunate that no serious injuries were caused.''
Gbamin a former youth international for France, will be offered a place on a drink driving rehabilitation course.
Born in San Pédro, Ivory Coast, Gbamin had spells with French clubs Aire-sur-la-Lys and US Saint-Quentin Blessy, and Lens.
In 2016 he joined Bundesliga side Mainz 05 before signing for Everton on 2 August 2019 on a five-year contract for a £25 million fee. He made appearances in the club's first two games of the season, before being ruled out for eight weeks due to a thigh injury.
In May, he injured an Achilles tendon in training, with it estimated he would be injured until November 2021.
