Footballer faces jail after new drink-drive case
REPUBLIC of Ireland footballer Darron Gibson has been told he faces jail after admitting a second drink-drive charge in less than three years.
The 30-year-old was three times over the limit when he smashed his Mercedes 4x4 into parked cars on St Patrick’s Day, South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court was told.
The incident in Sunderland followed a serious collision in 2015 when his car hit three cyclists who were fixing a wheel on the pavement.
Gibson, 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.
The taxi driver had followed him, thinking Gibson would stop to swap details, but the footballer carried on until the final series of collisions.
Chairman of the bench David Randall said there was a suspicion the footballer had come off the main road and was using a back road through an estate after the initial collision.
The magistrate said the offence was aggravated by the length of time over which it occurred, and his failure to stop or report the damage caused to the taxi.
Speaking about sentencing, Mr Randall said: “We feel this aggravates it into the custody band.”
Gibson will be sentenced on May 25 after medical reports are provided.