Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger was fined $600 and had his licence suspended for one year Thursday, thirty days after being convicted of driving drunk.
Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger was fined $600 and had his licence suspended for one year Thursday, thirty days after being convicted of driving drunk. Kroeger, who lives in nearby Abbotsford, B.C., was arrested in Surrey in June 2006, after being spotted speeding in his red Lamborghini. A breathalyser test later pegged his blood-alcohol level at .14 – well over the legal limit of .08. Kroeger, whose band has sold tens of millions of albums worldwide, was later found guilty of driving with a blood-alcohol level over .08. Kroeger wore a knee-length black wool jacket over black jeans to the sentencing hearing Thursday. His trademark shaggy blond hair was slicked back and he wore dark sunglasses outside the courtroom. “I don’t condone drinking and driving,” Kroeger told reporters. “I don’t think you should do it and everyone makes mistakes.” Kroeger’s lawyer Martin Stern acknowledged that Kroeger “clearly made a mistake” but added he will likely still appeal the sentence. Stern pointed to the fact that Judge Peder Gulbransen found Kroeger’s Charter rights had been breached when he was asked to give a breath sample, but did not take that into account in his verdict. “We feel it’s a significant legal issue, and one that we will pursue by way of an appeal,” Stern said. Stern said that because Kroeger lives in a rural area – Abbotsford is about an hour outside Vancouver – not being able to drive for a year will make it “a bit of a challenge getting around.” Stern also said Kroeger was under particular scrutiny during the court case because of his star status.