Claus Lundekvam pleads guilty to drink-driving on M3

Lundekvam, 36, crashed his Audi Quattro Q7 into the back of a Citroen van on the M3 near Winchester after drinking more than a bottle of wine during a charity dinner at a Hampshire golf club, a court heard.

Basingstoke magistrates were told that the father of two drove off from the scene of the accident near junction 9 only stopping briefly to deflate his car’s airbag.

The Norwegian player, who made 420 appearances during his 12 years at Saints, parked up at a nearby service station where he was later arrested by police and found to be two and a half times the legal drink-driving limit.

Prosecutor Dan O’Neill, said the driver of the van needed stitches to his head and still suffered from headaches as a result of the vehicle rolling and turning on its roof.

Lundekvam, of Chilworth, near Southampton, pleaded guilty to drink-driving with an alcohol reading of 93mg per 100ml of breath, the limit being 35mg. He also admitted failing to stop at the scene of an accident where personal injury was caused.

Magistrates ordered sentencing reports and said they would be considering all options. He was handed an interim driving ban until he is sentenced.

The maximum penalty Lundekvam could face is six months in prison. He is due to reappear before Basingstoke magistrates on June 16.

He declined to comment as he left court.

The court was told that Lundekvam drank “in excess of a bottle of white wine” while attending the charity dinner at East Horton Golf Club.

Lundekvam’s solicitor, Adam Norris, said he had been attending the golf day in aid of Hampshire Autistic Society, for which he is an ambassador, and had not intended to drink.

Mr Norris said the situation changed when some friends turned up for the late afternoon dinner and one of them offered to drive Lundekvam home.

However, the friend left Lundekvam on his own in what was described as a “misunderstanding”

to give other friends a lift home.

Mr Norris said Lundekvam made the “completely irrational and intoxicated decision” to drive himself home. But he said Lundekvam took a wrong turn and ended up on the M3 where he was distracted while trying to find an exit and collided into the back of the van because he was too slow to hit the brakes.

He added Lundekvam then decided to get his car off the motorway and get help so he drove off.

Mr Norris said: “He accepts he broke the law, the letter of the law, but he pulled off and was seeking help because he knew he had been in an accident.”

Mr Norris added Lundekvam was “incredibly remorseful”.

In mitigation Mr Norris said Lundekvam was of positive good character who gives much of his time to charity work, especially charities involving young children such as Naomi House hospice and Cash for Kids.

He added Lundekvam offered an unreserved apology to all concerned and understood he was a role model to many people who he had now let down.

The accident happened at about 8.30pm on Wednesday, May 6.