Guilty plea reduced fine to £1,300

NORTHERN Ireland football manager Michael O’neill has been banned from the road and fined after pleading guilty to drink-driving.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard the 48-year-old was caught by police on the outskirts of the city at about 1am on September 10 while just under three times the legal limit.

Prosecutor Chloe Shoniwa said officers had “reason to stop” O’neill as he drove on the city bypass between Lothianburn and Straiton.

They breathalysed him and he was found to have an alcohol level of 65mcg compared with the legal limit of 22mcg.

O’neill’s solicitor James Mulgrew told the court: “This was simply a bad error of judgment on the part of Mr O’neill.”

He said his client is “contrite” and pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.

Mr Mulgrew added: “He has no analogous record and no record to speak of, with only one limited endorsement currently on his licence.”

He urged the sheriff to take into account that the football manager has held a driving licence for 31 years and also the distance he covers each year.

Sheriff Thomas Welsh QC said O’neill was three times over the Scottish limit. He told O’neill: “You do not have a record for this type of thing. I treat your prior record as being minor in the extent of this case.

“I am satisfied that you pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity. You deserve credit for that as you have not wasted the court’s time.”

Sheriff Welsh banned him from driving for 16 months and fined him £1,300, giving him 28 days to pay. He said if the case had gone to trial he would have fined the former Hibernian star £2,000.

Sheriff Welsh added the driving ban had been cut from 20 months to 16.

He said it could be reduced by another quarter if he completed a drink-drive rehabilitation course, which his solicitor said he is willing to do. O’neill made no comment to reporters as he left the court.

He became manager of Northern Ireland in 2012 and has led the side to unprecedented success.

He guided them to the last 16 in their first-ever European Championship finals appearance in France at Euro 2016.

The team are due to play Switzerland in the play-offs for the World Cup in Russia next year.

EDINBURGH COURT YESTERDAY