Former Premier League striker Marcus Bent’s claim he was nearly four times the drink-drive limit due to a couple of glasses of wine the night before was rejected by magistrates who described it as one of the highest readings they had ever seen.
Heading Into Court: Bent
Hammersmith-born Bent, 43, of Canada Road, Cobham, Surrey was disqualified for thirty-two months when he appeared at Wimbledon Magistrates Court last week.
The ex-centre-forward, who scored over one hundred goals for fourteen different clubs pleaded guilty to driving his grey BMW X5 three-litre diesel on the A3 at Tibbet’s Corner on February 27.
Bent’s reading was 134 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - the legal limit is 35.
During his fifteen-year career, which began with local club Brentford in west London, Bent also had spells Crystal Palace; Sheffield United; Blackburn Rovers; Ipswich Town; Everton; Charlton Athletic and Birmingham and was capped by England Under-21’s.
“It was lunchtime and you were nearly four times over the limit,” magistrate Vanessa Weguelin told Bent. “There is no way you could have had a couple of glasses of wine the night before and still been at that level.
“It is one of the highest readings we have ever heard of and you compounded that by speeding in a busy area.”
Bent was also placed on a twelve-month Community Order, which includes 150 hours community service, plus 10 days of a recommended rehabilitation activity requirement.
“It is going to be a massive inconvenience for you not to drive, but you are going to have to get used to that,” the magistrate told Bent, ordering him to also pay £85 costs and a £95 victim surcharge.
Prosecutor Corran Helme told the court: “The defendant was seen driving a motor vehicle at speed and this was the cause of him to be stopped and on talking to the police there was a suspicion he had been drinking.”
Bent failed a roadside breath-test and at Wandsworth Police Station gave the 134 breath reading.
The magistrates ordered an immediate verbal pre-sentence report and Probation Officer Kehinde Akinjo said: “He accepted the full responsibility for the offence.
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| Bent: Playing Days |
“Mr Bent recently separated from his ex-girlfriend, with whom he has a two year-old daughter, and felt lonely the night before and went out for a few drinks with friends.
“He had two glasses of wine and it was several hours after drinking and the next day when he thought he was fit to drive and was speeding to overtake a slow-moving vehicle.
“He denies being dependant on alcohol, but has been in the past and he completed rehab last September.
“Mr Bent says he is a former professional footballer and drink and drug issues occurred when he ddi not haver anything to do after retiring and his mental health deteriorated.
“He filed for bankruptcy due to poor investments and he lost property he accumulated during a successful football career and says he is not dependant on drugs or alcohol anymore.
“I don’t think he has pro-criminal attitudes and he is remorseful. He is not working at the moment, but does some football match commentary and recently was on Universal Credit.
“He has no income at the moment, save for a twenty thousand pound return on an investment and says he had depression that led to drug and alcohol issues in the past.”
Bent’s lawyer Scott Ewing told the court: “It is widespread and known that when sportsmen finish they have too much time on their hands.
“Football was a comfort blanket and with all the dressing-room camaraderie he was able to deal with things.
“Unfortunately sycophants and leeches provided unregulated investment advice and Mr Bent went from having a high-profile successful career to nothing.
“How prolific are they in the professional football changing rooms giving ad hoc financial advice.
“That twenty thousand pounds investment was something he had forgotten about.
“He had other issues with controlled drugs ten years ago. He has now hit rock bottom, from where he’s looking up and there’s only one direction to go and that’s to give advice to others so they don’t fall into the same traps.
“It is a pity it has taken something like this for Mr Bent to get the assistance he needs,” added Mr Ewing.
“He has an opportunity to get involved in a business building summerhouses for £150 per day, with the opportunity to use his image to promote the company and hopefully become part of that business without the financial investment.”
Bent appeared in the same courthouse in 2016, where he was fined £385 for possessing cocaine at Chessington World of Adventures and earlier that year received a suspended prison sentence for an affray with police at his home address.
After a five-year hiatus from the professional game he attempted a short-lived comeback in non-league football at the age of 39 with Wick and Cornard United.
Bent was declared bankrupt in January, 2019.
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