Sunderland striker Lilian Laslandes was banned from driving for two years today after finally appearing before a court on drink driving charges.

Laslandes, who said he was too busy to appear on a previous five occasions because he had been searching for a new team to join on the Continent, was also fined £500 and ordered to pay £50 costs.

The 30-year-old, who was last month ordered by Newcastle magistrates to return to the UK to appear in person, admitted driving with 185mg of alcohol to 100ml of blood. The reading was more than twice the legal limit.

Kim Elder, prosecuting, said Laslandes was stopped by police after they spotted him driving his silver Audi the wrong way down John Dobson Street, in Newcastle, at 4am on November 27.

His breath smelt of alcohol and his eyes were glazed. He was arrested after failing a roadside breath test.

Jonathan Dunkley, defending, said Laslandes had driven to Newcastle to meet friends and had no plans to drive home to Chester-le-Street.

Laslandes, who intended to get a taxi, stopped drinking at about midnight and stayed on with friends until 3.30pm.

He added: "When it came time for him to go back home he felt perfectly fit and totally unaffected by intoxicants."

Mr Dunkley said Laslandes had spent most of this year in Germany or France and was not previously bailed by police to appear in court.

He added the delay had been caused by unsuccessful attempts by the defence team to trace a French interpreter used at the time of the arrest.

Mr Dunkley said Lanlandes, who held a French driving licence, had "learned his lesson".

The French striker was signed for £3.6m by the Black Cats but proved a flop on Wearside.

He was loaned to German Bundesliga side FC Cologne in January with a view to a permanent move but Cologne were relegated.

He was transfer-listed by Sunderland in May, although his agent had been seeking a move for some time before that.

There have been no offers yet for Laslandes, who has since returned to live in France.