UNFORGIVABLE
drink driver Rooney’s remorse as he gets ban & community service
Shame-faced Wayne Rooney apologised to fans for the “unforgivable lack of judgment” he showed when he drove after drinking on a night out.
The Everton star issued a statement after he had appeared in court, where he admitted driving at three times the legal limit and was sentenced to a two-year ban and 100 hours of community service. Rooney, 31, said his actions on September 1, when he drove a VW Beetle belonging to Laura Simpson, 29, who was a passenger when he was pulled over, were “completely wrong”. He said: “Of course I accept the sentence of the court and hope that I can make some amends through my community service.” Road safety campaigners said the €170,000-a-week striker should have been fined. John Scruby, from the Campaign Against Drinking & Driving, said: “I would have expected some financial penalty. A community order is a soft option.” At Stockport magistrates court, Rooney’s lawyer Michael Rainford had questioned whether community service would be “proportionate”. He spoke of the charity work Rooney already did, and said: “This is somebody who is actually hands on.” But District Judge John Temperley said: “I am not convinced that even a high level fine would have the same punitive effect.” Rooney listened intently to proceedings in the dock, wearing a blue suit and tie, white shirt, and Christian Louboutin shoes. His pregnant wife Coleen, 31, who was on holiday with their three children at the time of the offence, was not in court. When he was stopped in Wilmslow, Cheshire, at 2am, he had 104 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. The limit is 35mcg. Above 120mcg, a prison term can be imposed. The court heard a patrol car had noticed a faulty tail light on the Volkswagen, which Ms Simpson drove to work in Manchester yesterday. Mr Rainford said: “Wayne wishes to express his genuine remorse.” Rooney was ribbed on social media about a 2011 tweet he sent to Man Utd team-mate Rio Ferdinand: “Hi rio do u want picking up in the morning pal.” Bradley Cates said if Rio did not tweet Rooney to pick him up in the morning, “what is the point of Twitter?”
I am not convinced even a high level fine would have same effect JOHN TEMPERLEY DISTRICT JUDGE