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SYDNEY - Kiwis rugby league player Ben Roberts has had a drink-driving conviction overturned by a Sydney judge.
In the New South Wales District Court yesterday, Judge Reg Blanche found the offence proven but decided not to record a conviction against Roberts who plays for the Bulldogs National Rugby League (NRL) club.
Roberts, 22, appealed after being convicted on four charges by Judge Kevin Maughan in Sydney's Sutherland Local Court in July.
He was fined a total of A$1230 ($1461) and disqualified from driving for three months.
He had pleaded guilty to driving with a blood-alcohol level of 0.03 when his P-plate (provisional) licence requires him to have no alcohol in his system.
Judge Blanche allowed Roberts' appeal against the severity of the sentence, meaning he is free to continue driving.
However, Roberts did not escape entirely, with the judge confirming his convictions for driving an unregistered vehicle and driving an uninsured vehicle. He was fined A$500.
Roberts was pulled over by police at Miranda, in Sydney's south, at 9.45am on June 17, when behind the wheel of a sponsored car he had borrowed from a teammate.
He admitted to drinking about six bottles of pre-mixed vodka at a Cronulla nightclub the previous night.
Roberts has played two tests for the Kiwis at halfback and is in the train-on squad for next month's test against Australia and subsequent tour of Britain and France.
- NZPA
