Jesse Ryder was charged with drink-driving after being pulled over on Taradale Rd in February. Photo File
Jesse Ryder was charged with drink-driving after being pulled over on Taradale Rd in February. Photo File
Controversial former Black Cap Jesse Ryder has admitted drinking multiple "turbo shandies" before he was caught drink-driving.
Ryder, 35, of Napier, was charged with drink driving after he was pulled over at 11.40pm outside the Sideline sports bar in Onekawa on February 7.
Police said he drove his Audi across the bar's car park with no lights on and mounted a curb.
After being stopped on nearby Taradale Rd he returned a breath alcohol reading of 873 micrograms per litre of breath - more than three times the 250mcg limit.
Ryder told police he had consumed plenty of "turbo shandies".
A turbo shandy is the name commonly given to a cocktail made with beer and spirits.
The 35-year-old gifted cricketer appeared in Napier District Court on Wednesday, where Judge Bridget Mackintosh sentenced him to nine months supervision and ordered alcohol and drug counselling.
Judge Mackintosh said Ryder had been "candid" about how much had consumed when he was pulled over.
Jesse Ryder played for the Black Caps from 2008 to 2014. Photo / File
He was also banned from driving for 28 days, but could apply for an alcohol interlock licence at a later stage.
According to the NZ Transport Agency, an alcohol interlock is a breath testing device wired into a vehicle's starting system. Before the vehicle can start, the driver must blow into the device.
If any level of alcohol is detected on the driver's breath, the vehicle won't start.
The conviction was his first for drink-driving.
A guilty plea was entered by his lawyer James Rainger.
Ryder remains active in Hawke's Bay club cricket as a player-coach for Napier Tech Old Boys.
The burly all-rounder played 18 Test matches, 48 One-Day Internationals and 22 Twenty20 Internationals for New Zealand from 2008 to 2014.
Jesse Ryder's international career was littered with indiscretions. Cartoon/ Rod Emmerson
In March 2013 Ryder was involved in a Christchurch pub fight after he took offence at being accused of having "short arms and long pockets" after not buying his own round of shots.
He was felled with a single punch after he walked away from the initial fight. Vomit entered his lungs and he was hospitalised in a coma for three days.
In 2015 Ryder squared off with blogger Cameron Slater for the feature charity bout in the Super 8 Redemption night held in Christchurch, which he won by KO.
