Las Palmas striker Sergio Araujo has been handed a nine-month prison sentence and banned from driving for two years by a court in Gran Canaria.
The sentence comes after the Argentine refused to take a breathalyzer test after being stopped by police on 26 September and was charged with a traffic violation after claiming he had been tricked by a civil guard into taking the test.
However, the 24-year-old is unlikely to serve any time behind bars because under Spanish law, any sentence that is non-violent and under two years does not require a defendant without previous convictions to do so.
"Considering it's a sentence of less than two years, it is unlikely the defendant will serve jail time," a court spokeswoman said.
The former Barcelona B striker claimed he had been in the passenger seat when his car was stopped and that a friend had been behind the wheel but started to feel unwell and moved the vehicle on to the side of the road. His version of events also stated that the police asked him to move the car out of the way of traffic, even though he had reportedly already admitted to having been drinking. The breathalyzer test which eventually followed, showed he was over the limit.
Araujo admitted he called the officers at the scene ‘liars’ and that he felt ‘cheated’ before telling them ‘my president (of Las Palmas) will fix everything.
He then refused to take a second breathalyzer test which was brought by further offices – the results of which can be used legally – and claimed he was not aware that failing to do so was a criminal offence.
The officers version of events was different – stating that Araujo moved the car of his own volition before driving it erratically 20 metres away, while they also noted that he attempted to close the car door on them and drive off.
Araújo’s lawyer asked for the case to be thrown out as he argued his client was famous and therefore victim of an ambush, and that his actions of driving a car 20 metres did not pose a risk to anyone, before confirming he would appeal the sentence.
