Nickelback singer Chad Kroeger will have to pay $600 and go a year without driving, according to a drunk driving sentence handed down by a B.C. judge on Thursday.
Kroeger, 33, was speeding through a Surrey, B.C. neighbourhood in his $175,000 Lamborghini when he was pulled over by police. A breathalyzer test showed he had an alcohol content of 0.14, almost twice the legal limit of 0.08.
Justice Peder Gulbrandsen handed down the minimum sentence for the offence, ordering Kroeger to pay the fine and refrain from driving for one year. His decision was endorsed by the Crown.
The Juno-winning singer arrived early for his court appearance, wearing a black trench coat. He quickly left the courthouse after the sentence was handed down, telling reporters that he does not condone drinking and driving.
"I don't think you should do it," Kroeger said. "Everybody makes mistakes.''
The singer's lawyer, Marvin Stern, initially tried to have the charges dropped, saying the Mountie who stopped him conducted an unlawful search when he asked Kroeger to blow in his face.
Stern also said the police took too long in transporting the singer to their station for a breath test. Gulbrandsen ruled that the arresting officer was right in waiting for a tow truck at the scene with Kroeger, who had shown concern his red sports car might get damaged.
The case involved legal issues that should be considered on appeal, said Stern, who added that Kroeger was convicted on a "technical convention," not because he was drunk at the time.
Kroeger may have trouble getting into the United States now that he's a convicted criminal, noted Brown.
"His council told us he'll be allowed to enter every country in the planet with this on his record, but in the United States it's a discretionary issue," Brown said Thursday on CTV Newsnet. "He may or may not."
Kroeger, whose band has won nine Juno Awards and has had seven Grammy nominations, hoped to get a more lenient sentence due to his involvement in charitable work since the arrest, and because he lives in a rural area difficult to access without a vehicle.
With files from The Canadian Press and a report from CTV's Rob Brown