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Former Australian test batter David Warner has been fined for drink-driving despite pleas from his lawyer to spare him over media coverage. The 39-year-old was convicted and fined A$1500 ($1810) on Tuesday for mid-range drink-driving after he attempted to change seats with a passenger as he approached a random breathalysersite on Easter Sunday. The Sydney Thunder captain produced a 0.104% blood alcohol concentration result, more than double Australia’s legal limit, in a second test at Maroubra Police Station. His lawyer Awais Ahmad argued the media coverage of the incident caused him to suffer extra punishment and should be spared conviction, with Sydney’s Waverley Local Court being told his offence had been covered by outlets such as ESPN and Al Jazeera. Ahmad said countries like India and Pakistan, where Warner could play in the future, have a “non-drinking culture” and the “consequences of his offending are profound”. “Commercial opportunities [are] being affected,” Ahmad said. Warner, who previously captained Australia’s ODI and T20I teams, had drunk three glasses of wine at a friend’s apartment on Easter Sunday before deciding to drive home. The cricketer attempted to swap seats with a female passenger before he reached the breath-test site on his journey home, but was noted to have co-operated with police once identified as the driver. Ahmad questioned why New South Wales Police released a statement about the arrest and described the media coverage as “profound”, while the judge noted there had been social media commentary directed at Warner and his wife. Judge Farnan said she accepted Warner was unlikely to reoffend but she needed to deter the public from drink-driving, which was key in her decision to convict him. She explained the offence was aggravated because children were present in the car at the time and he will be able to drive once he applies for an interlock licence and has the device fitted to his car, which prevents it from starting if alcohol is detected in the driver’s system.