Birmingham City's Jermaine Pennant has been jailed for three months.
Birmingham City's Jermaine Pennant has been jailed for three months.
The England Under-21 international has been in splendid form since joining Blues on loan from Arsenal but his career will grind to a temporary halt as he sees out his sentence.
Pennant pleaded guilty to three charges of drink-driving, driving whilst disqualified and using a vehicle without insurance.
The incident occurred in January in Aylesbury when the 22-year-old was arrested by police.
After being banned from driving for 16 months back in February 2004, it was suspected that a jail sentence would be the punishment.
After deliberation for more than an hour at Aylesbury Magistrates Court, it was decided that there was no option but to dish out a custodial sentence due to the seriousness of the charges.
An instant appeal has been launched by the player's lawyer so there was still the possibility that Pennant could be granted bail.
However, the Court recommended that he should serve at least a month and a half of his sentence and he was taken to prison in a van to start his punishment.
The appeal will now be heard at Aylesbury Crown Court within the next seven days as Pennant's legal advisers seek to get the sentence reduced.
Pennant, one of only two players to score a hat-trick on their full Premiership debut, has been banned from driving for three years.
Birmingham boss Steve Bruce has already indicated that he will stand by his midfielder.
