James Norwood: Ipswich Town striker banned and fined for drink-driving

Ipswich Town footballer James Norwood has been banned from driving for 40 months and fined £5,000 after being found guilty of drink-driving.

The 30-year-old striker was driving his Audi Q8 when he was stopped by police near his home in Cockfield, Suffolk, at about 03:00 BST on 30 August last year.

Officers had been tipped off by a member of the public, Ipswich Magistrates' Court heard.

Norwood denied drink-driving but was found guilty following a trial.

The court heard Norwood was stopped after a 1-0 loss to Cambridge United in a pre-season friendly.

Norwood was arrested after failing a roadside breath test, then taken to Bury St Edmunds police station - where a further breath test recorded him as having 58 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

The legal limit is 35 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

Norwood had been on a night out with footballer Paul Mullin, who he knew from their time at Tranmere Rovers, the court was told.

He told magistrates in the evening after the match, he drove to the Aurora bar in Ipswich with Mr Mullin at about 21:30 and drank "just under two pints", leaving some in each glass.

The court heard Norwood and Mr Mullin met two women at the bar and all drove back to the women's flat, where they stayed for between 20 and 30 minutes.

He told the court the women did not offer him a drink as "they knew I was driving".

PC Dominic Mason, the arresting officer, said Norwood was given a chance to provide a breath sample "five or six" times before successfully doing so, "suggesting the defendant wasn't blowing".

He did so after police "warned he would be arrested if he failed to provide a sample", Mr Mason said.

Presiding magistrate John Grover said he did not find Norwood's account of what he had to drink "credible".

Prosecutor Robert Ireland told the court Norwood had a previous drink-driving conviction from 2012 and that an aggravating feature of the 2020 offence was that his passengers were "not only his friend Mr Mullin but also the two girls he met in Aurora bar".

Norwood was also ordered to pay £750 in prosecution costs and a £190 victim surcharge.

A spokesman for Ipswich Town said it had "reminded James of his responsibilities as an employee... and the level of conduct the club expects".

"James has expressed his deep regret over the incident that brought him to court and fully acknowledges that a charge - and conviction - of drink-driving is a very serious matter," the spokesman said.

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