Walking Leaf

Canadian actor Kiefer Sutherland will serve 48 days in jail after pleading no contest to two misdemeanour counts of driving under the influence. The 24 star was charged after police witnessed him making an illegal U-turn in Los Angeles last month.

A breath test allegedly resulted in Kiefer having twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system…

In a statement, the actor apologised for his “poor judgement” and the “distress this has caused my family, friends and co-workers”.

Sutherland was not in court as his lawyer, Blair Berk, entered the plea agreement. A second charge of driving under the influence of alcohol was dropped. His arrangement means that filming on the seventh series of hit ‘real-time’ drama 24 will not be interrupted, drawing praise from his bosses at television network Fox.

“Kiefer made clear to us at the time of his arrest that his first concern was the welfare of those he worked with and that he intended to do whatever was necessary to prevent shutting down the show,” it said in a statement.

“He told us that even if he had to sacrifice more time in custody in order to protect the show and the jobs of those who work with him, he would do so. From what occurred today, it is evident he is a man of his word.”

The jail sentence consists of 30 days for driving with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit, and 18 days for violating his probation, according to court records. Under the terms of his agreement, Kiefer must serve the time in full.

In addition, Sutherland is banned from driving for six months and was ordered to attend alcohol education classes for the next 18 months.