 |
| Tom Huckerby (right, playing for local club Wroxham FC), 25, of Norwich, Norfolk, found himself in cuffs at a branch of the fast food restaurant chain in his hometown on July 18 |
Armed police have arrested the son of a former Premier League footballer outside McDonald's for drink driving.
Tom Huckerby, 25, of Norwich, Norfolk, found himself in cuffs at a branch of the fast food restaurant chain in his hometown on July 18.
His father is Norwich City star Darren Huckerby, 49, a forward who also played for Newcastle United and Manchester City, among others, before retiring in 2009.
Huckerby - who passed his test just six months ago - was behind the wheel of his first car, a VW Polo, at the Drive Thru on Barrett Road with a friend as his passenger.
Officers discovered he was nearly double the drink-drive limit, at some 63 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath - when the limit is 35.
The amateur footballer pleaded guilty to drink driving on Friday at Norwich Magistrates' Court and was slapped with a 15-month driving ban and £730 fine.
Speaking outside court, he explained the police were armed because his vehicle was suspected of being linked to a firearms offence connected to a previous owner.
Huckerby added McDonald's staff were the ones to call the police suspecting the pair had been drinking, after his pal leaned over to loudly hold down his car horn.
But he said he was shocked to find himself arrested.
Huckerby, like his father, is also a keen footballer, as a centre-back for local club Harleston Town, after previously playing for Wroxham FC.
It comes after his younger brother Benjamin Huckerby, then 18, was in 2020 locked up for three years in a young offender's institution.
Huckerby, along with Levi Licorish and Lucas Philpott, staged a spate of robberies in Norwich city centre, near the Vue cinema.
With their faces covered, they approached members of the public and threatened them with a hammer to force them to hand over their belongings.
One teen had a necklace taken and another had an Apple watch stolen in two robberies committed within mere minutes of each other.
The trio of violent thieves also tried to rob a third youngster but did not succeed.
After his youngest son was sentenced, Norwich City star Mr Huckerby said he was 'incredibly disappointed' by the lad's actions.
He said in a statement issued through solicitor Chris Brown: 'We made our home in Norwich because we fell in love with the city, county and people when we arrived in 2003.
'I have always tried to pay back some of the welcome by trying to hold the highest standards on and off the pitch, helping the local community when I can and through things like the charitable trust we set up.
'So as a family we are incredibly disappointed and hurt by Ben's actions, which go against everything we stand for.'
Mr Huckerby played 203 times for the Canaries between 2003 and 2008, scoring 48 goals.
- The Daily Mail
