Darren Day's Mercedes seized after he is charged with drink-drive crash

Published on Friday 18 December 2009 22:09

FORMER West End star Darren Day had his Mercedes temporarily seized after he appeared in court yesterday accused of crashing into a lamppost while he was over the drink-drive limit.

Day, 41, who once had a record deal with X Factor mogul Simon Cowell, was said to have driven carelessly and lost control of his car in Edinburgh's Manor Place in the early hours of yesterday.

Currently appearing in We Will Rock You at Edinburgh Playhouse theatre, Day faced six charges when he appeared from custody in front of Sheriff Celia Sanderson.

He is accused of failing to stop and report the alleged crash and of failing to identify himself to police.

The actor faced a further charge of failing to co-operate with a preliminary breath test.

Day, a former presenter of ITV's You Bet show, is said to have driven with 58mg of alcohol in 100ml of his breath – the limit being 35mg in 100ml of breath – at Manor Place, Balfour Street and other roads in Edinburgh.

The star faces an alternative charge to the drink-driving allegation which alleges that he failed to give two breath specimens for analysis at Drylaw police station.

A sixth charge alleges that Day was in possession of a kubotan – a martial arts weapon.

Defence agent Robert Frazer told Edinburgh Sheriff Court that Day denied the offences and he made no objection to the procurator-fiscal's request for a warrant to seize his Mercedes.

A date for a trial was set for next month.

Sheriff Sanderson released Day, whose address was given as Balfour Street, Edinburgh, on bail and granted the warrant for seizure of the vehicle.

Day was dressed in a shirt and grey coat and sported designer stubble as he listened to the court proceedings.

The TV celebrity shot to fame in 1993, when he took over the starring role from Jason Donovan in the West End musical production Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. He subsequently recorded two albums.