{"id":437701,"date":"2019-05-15T16:34:53","date_gmt":"2019-05-15T20:34:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonfootball.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=437701"},"modified":"2019-05-15T16:48:16","modified_gmt":"2019-05-15T20:48:16","slug":"saido-berahino-guilty-of-drink-driving-despite-armed-robbery-claims","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2019\/05\/15\/saido-berahino-guilty-of-drink-driving-despite-armed-robbery-claims\/","title":{"rendered":"Saido Berahino Guilty of Drink-Driving Despite Armed Robbery Claims"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stoke City<\/a> striker Saido Berahino<\/a> has been found guilty of drink-driving, despite claims he was avoiding armed robbery in West London.<\/p>\n

Saido Berahino Found Guilty in Drink-Driving Court Case<\/h1>\n

‘In Fear of Death or Fear of Serious Injury’<\/h2>\n

The former West Bromwich Albion<\/a> striker claimed he was<\/a> “in fear of death or fear of serious injury” when he committed the offence.<\/p>\n

Berahino, 25, has been found guilty of drink-driving at Highbury Magistrates’ Court.<\/p>\n

The striker claimed he was forced to flee the scene as he felt he was about to become a victim to London’s knife crime epidemic.<\/p>\n

Following a meal with his girlfriend and friends, Berahino was found almost three times the drink-drive limit.<\/p>\n

The court were also informed of Berahino’s previous convictions for drink-driving in 2015. The footballer was also found drunk in charge of a vehicle in 2012.<\/p>\n

Magistrate Mark Oxenham said<\/a> the defendant’s case had not been proved beyond reasonable doubt “that the defendant was not in fear of death or fear of serious injury to himself or his companions”.<\/p>\n

Mr Oxenham also added that Berahino’s evidence was “inconsistent” and he had lied to police when he was first questioned.<\/p>\n

When recalling the attack, Berahino said<\/a>:\u00a0“I tried to cover my face and just telling them ‘take everything, take everything, take everything’.<\/p>\n

“I was scared just wondering where my friends are, where my niece is. I panicked, everything happened so fast.”<\/p>\n

Saido Berahino informed the court that he was targeted due to being a well-known footballer. The former West Brom striker added<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\u201cThere had been knife crime, I believe, two weeks before that. There was a knife incident at a nightclub in central (London).\u201d<\/p>\n

The chair of the bench suggested Berahino’s girlfriend, who had not been drinking, could have driven the car.<\/p>\n

However, the footballer’s girlfriend was not at court to give evidence in his defence. Sentencing has been adjourned for probation reports.<\/p>\n

Main Photo<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a>