No jail for soccer star Gibson over drink drive crash
REPUBLIC of Ireland midfielder Darron Gibson has been spared jail despite admitting his second drink drive crash in three years.
The 30-year-old footballer was three times over the limit when he smashed his Mercedes 4x4 into parked cars on St. Patrick’s Day, a court in England heard.
Gibson wept during the hearing where it was said he had used sleeping tablets and drank from a litre bottle of vodka the night before.
The incident in Sunderland followed a serious collision in 2015 when his car hit three cyclists who were fixing a wheel on the pavement.
He was handed a two-year community order and banned from driving for 40 months yesterday after the judge at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court said the player had a number of ‘significant psychological issues’.
The Derry man blamed the smash on childhood bullying which he said led him to binge drink before getting behind the wheel of his Mercedes.
He has lost hundreds of thousands of pounds in bonuses after his contract with Sunderland was terminated in March, the court heard.
He smashed his 4x4 into a taxi and five parked cars on March 17, as he drove from his flat in Durham to a physio session at the club, finally smashing into a garden wall.
A roadside test recorded him having 105mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath – reduced at the police station to 95mg – when the legal limit is 35mg.
Gibson had already been banned from driving in 2015 when his car hit three cyclists while he was over the limit. The footballer, who played for Manchester United, Everton and Sunderland, knocked a taxi’s wing mirror off in West Boldon in the latest incident, but carried on and smashed into parked cars in Dovedale Road, Fulwell, Sunderland.
One stationary car ended up 20 metres away from where it had been parked, said Sue Baker, prosecuting.
Magistrates at the previous hearing indicated Gibson may be jailed, but District Judge Roger Elsey sentenced him to a two-year community order with 250 hours of unpaid work, including 30 days of rehabilitation activity.
Gibson must also pay one of the drivers £800 compensation, costs and a victim surcharge of £85 each and was banned from driving for 40 months.
Judge Elsey said: ‘Any offence of driving with excess alcohol is serious but, in my judgment, the circumstances of this case are particularly serious. You were clearly not in control of your vehicle and you put pedestrians and other drivers at risk of injury or worse.’
But the judge did not jail him, saying: ‘You have a number of significant psychological issues for which it now appears you are receiving appropriate treatment. The community is best protected if the causes of your binge drinking are removed and that requires extensive work with a number of agencies.’
Henry Blackshaw, defending, said Gibson had undergone counselling with a specialist from the Priory clinic and had seen a psychiatrist.
He said Gibson felt genuine remorse for the other drivers, as well as for his family.
His wife Danielle, mother and her partner were in court with him.
Mr Blackshaw said Gibson felt ‘heartfelt relief’ no one was hurt and was taking steps to prevent it happening again.
The lawyer told the court Gibson had ‘emotional baggage’, saying he had a difficult upbringing which involved being bullied growing up in Derry before he moved to Manchester United’s academy aged 15.
He had struggled with serious injuries in the past, moved to Sunderland but did not want to uproot his children and wife who were living in Manchester, and missed them. He suffered a serious muscle injury on New Year’s Day and was out of Sunderland’s first team at the time of the crash. Gibson insisted he was not an alcoholic and drank less than other players, Mr Blackshaw said.
His lawyer told the court Gibson hoped to have another five years playing professional football.
Gibson was loudly abused by a man who appeared to be drunk as he left court with his family.
‘Psychological issues’