A CHAMPION Southampton boxer’s promising career has taken a major blow after he crashed a car while driving under the influence of cocaine.

Ryan Garner, 19, known as “The Piranha”, avoided prison but has been suspended from fighting by the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBC).

The former European amateur champion at junior level took two lines of the drug before smashing up his brother’s car late at night on May 21.

After seeing a vehicle coming towards him on South East Road in Woolston he swerved and crashed the Ford Fiesta into a parked car.

Prosecuting, Natalie Angel told Southampton Magistrates’ Court that Garner had “misjudged the gap between the oncoming vehicle” and tested positive at the roadside shortly after 11pm.

Garner had also taken benzoylecgonine, which the defence said was considered a metaboliser, before taking cocaine.

Mitigating, defence solicitor Jane Joslin said: “Mr Garner succumbed to peer pressure.

“After celebrating with friends in Woolston, he then got into his brother’s car by himself before the incident occurred. Now he has no access to a vehicle as his brother won’t be insuring him again.

“He has no previous convictions and it’s the first time he’s taken the drug and has no intentions of doing so again in the future.

“His only income is his boxing career. His last fight was on July 8 in which he was paid £800 per round. Now he is not scheduled to fight again until September, and some of his earnings go his trainer and his cut man.”

Garner of Franklyn Avenue, Southampton, who turned professional last year, may have cut his career short after being handed an 80-hour unpaid work order and a two-year-driving ban.

He was also also ordered to pay £85 costs and £85 victim surcharge.

District Judge Peter Greenfield said: “It sounds like a promising career and no doubt you realise that a positive drug test could end it.

“It was a fundamental error. Hopefully I don’t see you in here again.”

Garner will also have to wait to attend a BBBC Southern Area Council meeting – which boxing chiefs say could take several months – before he can again take to the ring.

This means his scheduled fight in September will have to be postponed or even cancelled.

“I do not know when his (suspension) order will finish,” said BBBC general secretary Robert Smith.

“I see it as a silly mistake; he was lucky no one was seriously injured in the incident.

“I hope he learns from this mistake and won’t make it again.

“We are strong against any fighter who takes drugs and we will take action accordingly.”

Garner is managed by Frank Warren, who also represents WBO world middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders and double Olympic gold medallist Nicola Adams OBE.

The management company did not respond to a request for comment.