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Everton star Darron Gibson banned from driving after crash | |
(34 minutes later) | |
Everton footballer Darron Gibson has been banned from driving after he hit a cyclist while drink-driving. | |
The Republic of Ireland star ploughed into three cyclists who had stopped on a pavement to fix a chain on 16 August. | |
Gibson, 27, then struck a pump at a petrol station in Greater Manchester, Trafford Magistrates' Court heard. | |
The ex-Manchester United player pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol, driving without due care and failing to stop after a accident. | |
Witnesses told the court how the Londonderry-born midfielder had been driving "too fast", before he mounted the pavement and collided with the men, leaving one with cuts to his legs, elbow and hand. | |
'Strong alcohol smell' | |
He was said to have then driven off at speed, following the crash near his home town of Bowdon, before the crash at the petrol station minutes later. | |
The court heard a concerned petrol attendant called police after Gibson got out of his car with no shoes on and filled his vehicle with fuel. | |
Arresting officers said they noticed an "obvious strong smell of alcohol" on his breath. | |
Gibson was taken to a police station where he gave a positive reading of 57mg per 100ml of breath - the legal limit is 35. | |
Subhanar Chowdhury, prosecuting, said the defendant fully acknowledged in interview what he had done. | |
Chair of the bench Susanne O'Connell told the player the failure-to-stop offence was "serious enough" to merit a community penalty. | |
She banned Gibson from driving for 20 months and ordered him to pay compensation of £4,500 for the damaged bicycle and £1,000 to the injured biker Philip Quinn - plus £100 each to the other two cyclists. | |
He was also sentenced to a 12-month community order, with an unpaid work requirement of 200 hours. |