Soccer

Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill pleads guilty to drink-driving

Judge in Edinburgh: ‘This was simply a bad error of judgement on the part of Mr O’Neill’

Northern Ireland coach Michael O’Neill at the World Cup playoff draw in Zurich. Photograph: Getty Images
Northern Ireland coach Michael O’Neill at the World Cup playoff draw in Zurich. Photograph: Getty Images
Thu Oct 19 2017 - 12:37

Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill has pleaded guilty to drink-driving.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard he was caught by police on the outskirts of the city at about 1am on September 10th and was around three times the legal drink-drive limit.

Sheriff Thomas Welsh QC banned O’Neill from driving for 16 months and fined him £1,300.

Prosecutor Chloe Shoniwa told the court that police officers had “reason to stop” O’Neill as he drove on the Edinburgh city bypass between Lothianburn and Straiton.

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

Solicitor James Mulgrew, representing O’Neill, told the court: “This was simply a bad error of judgement on the part of Mr O’Neill.”

Having led the Northern Irish to the Euro 2016 knock-out stages, O’Neill’s team are within touching distance of making back-to-back major tournaments for the first time in the country’s history.

Northern Ireland play Switzerland next month in their two-legged playoff for the 2018 World Cup in Russia - a tournament they last reached in 1986 - after finishing second in their group behind Germany. The manager signed a new four-year contract in March last year.