Labour Councillor Paul Greenaway - Drink Driving

Paul Greenaway

A PORT Talbot councillor has been disqualified from driving after he was caught behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol.

Labour councillor Paul Greenaway, 61, who represents the Baglan ward, has been disqualified from driving for 20 months.

He could now face disciplinary action by his party.

A Welsh Labour spokesman said they were aware of Greenaway's court appearance and it was up to the Neath Port Talbot Labour Group to decide on any action.

"The Neath Port Talbot Labour Group will decide appropriate disciplinary action to take at their next meeting," said the spokesman.

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Christine Channon: Drunk driving

Christine Channon (Tory cllr)

Conservative Christine Channon – portfolio holder for education and schools at Devon County Council – has been charged with driving under the influence of excess alcohol.

Channon, of Cricket Field Lane, Budleigh Salterton, was breathalysed by police officers following an alleged collision with a parked car.

The alleged incident took place on Saturday, February 25, at 6.40pm. Police were alerted by a member of the public.

Channon, who represents Budleigh Salterton, was subsequently arrested following a roadside breath test.

A police spokesman said: "The arrest followed a roadside breath test which was undertaken following a minor road traffic collision with the suspect's vehicle and a parked car."

She will appear at Exeter Magistrates' Court today, charged with driving with excess alcohol. The reading taken was 61mcg in 100ml of breath, police said. The legal limit is 35mcg.

Channon is one of Devon's best known councillors. She is chair of the county's Children's Trust Board, the Devon Local Admissions Forum and is the Teachers Joint Consultative chair. She is also on the Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education.

The councillor has since been banned from driving for 14 months by Exeter magistrates and must take a driving rehabilitation course.

Source

Chris Huhne: Perverting the course of justice

Chris Huhne 

Chris Huhne has been charged with perverting the course of justice and will almost certainly have to step down from his position as energy and climate change secretary.

The matter dates back to allegations that he forced his now ex-wife Vicky Pryce to accept penalty points for a speeding offence on his behalf to dodge a ban in 2003.

Both Huhne and Pryce will face charges, the Crown Prosecution Service announced this morning, and will appear in court on 16 February.

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Conservative Councillor - Drunk Driving

A drunk magistrate who smashed into two cars while almost five times the limit has narrowly been spared jail.

Canterbury city councillor Vince McMahan was handed a three-month suspended sentence and banned from the road for two-and-half-years at a hearing on Monday.

The case was heard 65 miles away at City of Westminster magistrates court in London, after twice being transferred at late notice from courts in Folkestone and Medway.

Dad-of-three McMahan – who has revealed he won’t be standing for re-election – admitted drink driving after a session in the town.

The court heard he crashed into an oncoming Ford Focus in Western Avenue, Herne Bay, before skidding into a parked car belonging to city council officer Lyn McDaid.

The driver of the Ford – a 46-year-old woman from Herne Bay – was unhurt in the smash at 5.15pm on March 8.

McMahan, 50, of Plough Court , Broomfield , was arrested and failed a breathalyser test, giving a reading of 167 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath – the legal limit is just 35.

His prison sentence was suspended for 12 months, meaning no action will be taken if he commits no further crimes in the next year. He must also pay £85 costs.

After he was charged, McMahan told the Gazette he had been taking anti-depressants and drinking more due to personal issues.

He added: “I’m absolutely mortified. I’ve never had so much as a point on my licence since 1978. It’s humiliating and embarrassing.”

Before his court appearance, McMahan resigned his role as a magistrate and announced he had asked to be taken off the Tory candidate list for May’s local elections.

Speaking after sentencing he said: “I’m relieved it’s over, but I badly regret it ever happened.

“I can only apologise. I can’t believe I got it so wrong, but I did and I can’t take that back.

“I’ve just got to try and move on now and put it behind me. I’m going to take a bit of time out and catch up with family life, which I’ve neglected a bit.”

Herne Bay Gazette reporters drove more than 100 miles trying to follow McMahan’s case through the court system.

It was first listed to be heard at Folkestone magistrates’ court last Wednesday, but was mysteriously transferred to Medway magistrates to be heard on Monday.

Again the Gazette went along, but despite his name being on the court list, McMahan's case had been transferred to City of Westminster magistrates on an unknown date.

A quick call to the court revealed the case was heard and dealt with that day, with no press in attendance.

McMahan – who used to sit as a magistrate in Sittingbourne and Maidstone – said: “I can only presume they wanted it away from the Kent bench. I was never given a reason.”

Source

Labour Councillor - Illegal Taxi

No prosecution. Why?

OPPOSITION leaders have called for the chairman of Bolton’s planning committee to consider his position after he admitted to operating an illegal taxi.

Labour councillor Sean Hornby has received a “simple caution” after admitting using his car as a taxi without a licence, acting as a taxi driver without a licence, operating a car as a taxi without an operator licence and using his car as a taxi without the correct insurance.

Yesterday, Bolton Council withdrew the case at Bolton Magistrates’ Court as Cllr Hornby accepted the caution — which means he admitted the offences.

His previous “not guilty” pleas were “vacated” — removed from the court.

The case has been ongoing since last August and has cost Bolton taxpayers thousands of pounds.

The Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats leaders have called on Cllr Hornby, who represents Little Lever and Darcy Lever, to consider his position.

Tory leader Cllr John Walsh said: “Anyone in public life is accountable. I hope Cllr Hornby will consider his position.”

Cllr David Wilkinson, deputy leader of the Lib Dems and licensing committee member, said: “It is up to Labour to proceed with this as they see fit.

“The planning committee has a lot of responsibility and if the chairman cannot adhere to the rules set by another committee of a similar standing, then questions need to be asked.”

But Cllr Hornby’s solicitor Ajmal Hussain, of AGH Solicitors, said his client would continue in his roles He said: “Mr Hornby has faced considerable stress and anxiety in a saga that has lasted for almost 12 months.

“He now intends to resume his normal personal and political life.

“Mr Hornby, a diligent and committed councillor, intends to continue serving his constituents. He intends to contest the next local elections in May, 2010.”

Cllr Cliff Morris, leader of the Labour Group and Bolton Council, said: “The issue has been dealt with by officers in the appropriate way. There are no implications for Cllr Hornby’s position under the code of conduct for councillors.”

A simple caution is not a conviction, but can be cited before a court on subsequent conviction.

Cllr Hornby, who was elected in 2006, originally pleaded not guilty to the charges, but the council said it opted to issue him a simple caution after he indicated, before the start of a planned trial last Monday, that he was willing to accept it.

A council spokesman said: “We are pleased that the matter has now been resolved and Cllr Hornby has been dealt with appropriately.”

Cllr Hornby was granted permission to apply for his costs from the Central Fund, a fund similar to legal aid but for privately-funded defences.

Source

UPDATE 6 March 09

Councillor Suspended

Tags: disrepute, Labour, Driving

Labour Councillor - Dangerous Driving, No Documents

A COUNCILLOR has been banned from driving for two years.

John James Jones, 63, of North Ormesby, Middlesbrough, appeared at Teesside Magistrates’ Court last week charged with dangerous driving, having an inappropriate licence and no insurance.

He was convicted and was given a two-year driving ban, fined £1000 and ordered to pay costs of £40.

But under the Local Government Act 1972 he also faces being booted off the council and banned from public office for five years.

Source

Tags: Driving, Labour

Conservative Councillor jailed after car chase

A SHAMED councillor who acted as an advisor to a Midland police force was today starting a jail sentence after leading officers on a 70mph pursuit through Birmingham streets.

Mohammed Farooqui was locked up for six months and banned from driving for two years after admitting a charge of dangerous driving.

Birmingham Crown Court heard the Redditch Borough Council member was driving too quickly when he collided with a Rover car in Handsworth on July 23 last year, causing four people to be taken to hospital.

Being pursued by police, he reached speeds of up to 70mph and ran a red light, narrowly missing two other vehicles and mounting the pavement.

He then tried to flee on foot before he was finally arrested.

Julian Harris, defending, said Farooqui, 30, of Station Road, Handsworth, had been a councillor since the age of 24 and had acted as an independent advisor to West Mercia Police.

Passing sentence, Judge Melbourne Inman QC said motorists who put members of the public at risk by their driving would go to prison.

Mr Harris, said Farooqui worked as a surveyor but had recently lost his job.

On that particular night, he said, Farooqui had attended a property award ceremony at the International Convention Centre and had decided to visit his partner who thought she may be pregnant, although this subsequently turned out to be false.

He said Farooqui had had a lost of personal problems, was concerned about the welfare of his partner and at the time was “at the end of his tether”.

Mr Harris said Farooqui panicked after the accident and what he did was “utterly out of character”.

He said any form of custodial sentence would mean the defendant would have to resign as a councillor.

Source

Tags: Driving, Conservative

Labour Peer - Dangerous driving

The 51-year-old peer was at the wheel of his gold coloured X Type Jaguar when it ploughed into an Audi A4 that had broken down in the fast lane of the M1 near Rotherham.

Now almost a year after the death Lord Ahmed will appear before Magistrates in Sheffield on a date to be fixed.

As part of the investigation traffic police examined Lord Ahmed's mobile phone on which he made a 999 call from the scene.

It was alleged that shortly before the emergency call a text message was sent to a journalist.

South Yorkshire Police investigators submitted a detailed file to the CPS who have now decided there is insufficient evidence for a charge of death by dangerous driving.

Instead the peer will face a lesser charge of dangerous driving.

A South Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "On advice from the Special Crime Division of the CPS, a 51-year-old Rotherham man will be issued with a summons to appear at Sheffield Magistrates Court in relation to driving his motor car dangerously on the southbound carriageway of the M1 between junctions 40 and 35 on December 25, 2007."

The victim, Slovakian Martyn Gombar, died instantly in the impact and Lord Ahmed suffered severe facial injuries and shock.

The Audi hit the crash central crash barrier , spun round and ended up facing the wrong way on the southbound carriageway near to Junction 35 at Thorpe Hesley, near Rotherham.

The driver and one passenger managed to reach the hard shoulder but police believe the driver then tried to dodge fast moving traffic at 6.20 pm on Christmas Day, to get back to his car to retrieve his mobile phone and call for help.

The car belonging to Pakistani born Lord Ahmed , who has lived in nearby Rotherham since he was a child, then hit the car and driver.

At least four other vehicles were also involved in the crash.

The dead man had been living in the Leigh area of Lancashire. His passenger, also a Slovakian was arrested by police and questioned.

Lord Ahmed, along with three other people, was taken to Rotherham District General Hospital where he was treated for his injuries and was allowed home later.

At the time although still badly shaken he confirmed he was at the wheel of his Jaguar car when it struck the Audi. He confirmed he was injured and treated in hospital before being allowed home.

At his home in Rotherham he said soon after the accident : "I was just driving along when I saw a red Audi facing the wrong way -- it was absolutely horrendous but I don't want to talk about it.

"I am not able to say much about the accident because the police are still investigating the case.

"It was terrible. There was a red car in the third lane facing the wrong way and there was nothing I could do."

Lord Ahmed, a father-of-three, was only minutes from his home in Rotherham when the tragedy happened. His passengers, his 49-year-old wife, Sakina Bibi, and his mother in her mid-80s, suffered bruising.

Sakina said of her husband: "He's in shock. He has cuts and bruises."

The Labour peer -- whose official title is Lord Ahmed of Rotherham -- became the first Muslim in modern times to become a lord when he was appointed to the House of Lords in 1998.

In November last year he flew to Sudan and negotiated the release of British teacher Gillian Gibbons , jailed for allowing children in her class to call a teddy bear Muhammad.

Source

Tags: Driving, Labour, Peer of the Realm

Lib Dem - Drink Driving

A leading councillor has urged others to avoid repeating his mistake and becoming a convicted drink driver.
Cllr Simon McDougall, who is a member of Bersted, Bognor, Arun and West Sussex councils, said he deeply embarrassed by the actions which caused him to break the law.

The Christmas and new year period sees Sussex Police increase their efforts to k
eep the roads safe from those who drive after they have consumed too much alcohol.

The combination of festive parties and relaxed moods can bring the temptation to have too many drinks.

Cllr McDougall said his experience showed that no-one should have doubts about the consequences of behaving like that.

"I would urge everyone out there to heed the warnings issued by the police and not to make the mistake I did," he stated.

"My mistake was common of so many. I had a couple of drinks on an empty stomach, thought I was okay to drive when clearly I was not.

"There is not a day goes by that I do not regret my actions, particularly with the extra strain put on my family by needing to drive me around and putting alternative child-care arrangements in place because I was not able to guarantee the reliability of public transport.

"I have not been able to earn a proper income during this period and, indeed, the stigma of having a criminal record will haunt me for the rest of my life.

"Like everyone else, I am a human being and made an error in judgment.

"The fact is, I did have a choice and I made the wrong one.

"I am deeply embarrassed by my actions and regret this lapse in my otherwise blemish-free record as a councillor."

He was arrested for drink driving on November 14, 2007, in Aldwick Road.

He failed a roadside breath test and a subsequent test at Chichester police station. A second specimen confirmed the result.

He was found to have 46mg of alcohol in a 100ml of breath compared to the legal limit of 35mg.

He appeared before Chichester magistrates on January 22 this year and was banned from driving for a year.

This was reduced to nine months on condition he attended an alcohol awareness course.

He fulfilled the obligation and completed his ban at midnight on October 21. He was also fined £300 by the magistrates.

"While my arrest was caused by a borderline reading, I have learnt my lesson and will not make the same mistake twice," pledged Cllr McDougall.

He immediately reported his conviction to the district and county council officers who are responsible for the conduct of councillors.

Cllr McDougall has continued to serve his residents.

Source

Tags: Lib Dem, Driving, Drunk

Lib Dem - Drink driving - Again

Greasy and oily and still sucking in some people

A councillor has been thrown out of his party after being caught drink driving while almost three times over the legal limit.

Hugh O’Hanlon, 56, was suspended by Mayor of Watford Dorothy Thornhill as soon as he informed the Liberal Democrat leader about his arrest.

O’Hanlon, who was returned to his Tudor ward seat in this year’s May elections, pleaded guilty to drink driving and driving without insurance at Watford Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.

He has been banned from driving and faces a community order as well as a hefty fine.

Despite allegations he performed council duties while drunk, O’Hanlon – who receives an annual allowance of £7,209 from Watford Borough Council – said he will not resign from his seat.

He said: “I won’t be resigning under any circumstances.

“My council work is exceptional. I have had letters about how good a councillor I am, that’s excellent.

“I have got to put my hands up in the air and say I am extremely sorry.

“I have been an idiot. It’s my fault. I cannot do anything else, but there were a lot of reasons which brought that into line.”

Watford magistrates heard O’Hanlon was stopped by police on his driveway on Thursday, June 19, having driven his wife’s blue Fiat Punto the few hundred yards from the Tudor Arms.

Lynette Woodrow, prosecuting, told the court: “He got out of the driver’s door and was seen to put something in his mouth.

“When questioned, he said it was a mint and told the officers they would now have to wait 20 minutes to breathalyse him.

“He appeared drunk and was being argumentative.”

When he was arrested at 6.35pm, O’Hanlon asked: “Who called you?”

He was taken to Watford Police Station, where he gave a alcohol reading of 104. The legal limit is 35.

It is not the first time O’Hanlon, a governor of Parkgate Junior Infants School, has been caught drink driving. In 1999 he was banned for a year for the same offence.

Tony Irving, defending, said in mitigation O’Hanlon had taken the “foolish” decision to drive the short distance home because he cannot walk more than 200 yards since suffering a stroke in November.

He said his client suffered from depression as a result of the condition but his arrest had brought home his need for help, which was being dealt with by O’Hanlon’s GP.

When it came to driving without insurance, the court heard O’Hanlon thought he was covered, but later discovered the policy was only for his wife and daughter.

O’Hanlon’s alleged drunken behaviour was first brought to the council’s attention last year when he was reported to have overturned a table in a fit of rage at the Tudor Arms.

He was barred from the pub following the incident but then allowed back after it was said to be a case of “mistaken identity”.

Mayor Thornhill said that was the one and only time the council has received any complaint about the “well-liked” councillor.

She said: “We went round to speak to the landlady but by then it had been sorted out and no further action was taken.

“We have never had a single formal complaint about him, but after the pub incident I made it quite clear that any more of that sort of stuff and people would start to make assumptions.”

The Mayor, who was unaware of O’Hanlon’s previous spent drink driving conviction, said there was no excuse for his crime.

She added: “The only good thing to come out of all this is that he is facing the fact he is a victim of alcohol abuse and is doing something about it.”

Asked if there is any way back for him into the party, she said: “The most important thing is for him to get on with being a good councillor, it’s up to Hugh.

“The ball’s in his court.”

O’Hanlon could carry on representing the Tudor ward as an independent.

Indeed the council’s website has already changed his personal profile and now lists him as an independent.

However, the Liberal Democrat hierarchy has been criticised for allowing O’Hanlon to stand for re-election in May.

Amanda Grimston, a Conservative councillor for the Leggatts ward, said she complained the Tudor councillor had arrived “drunk” and late for a meeting last year – accusations O’Hanlon denies.

Councillor Grimston said: “I think what he has done is an utter disgrace. I do not care if you are Labour or Conservative or a Liberal Democrat.

“It is not the behaviour of a local councillor. I feel he should be struck off.”

Leader of the Conservative group, Andrew Mortimer, said it was obvious to all that O’Hanlon needed help.

He said: “He has clearly fought with the problem for some time and I am very sorry that it has caught up with him. Of all the people I know in the council it was clear he had a problem.”

However, Mr O’Hanlon described allegations of being drunk in a council meeting as “absolute nonsense”.

He said: “There’s not one person in that town hall that’s seen me drunk.

“I do know what she [Councillor Grimston] is talking about. It’s where I had been for a beer before a meeting and that's it, end of story.

“As far as being drunk, no way. Not in a million years.”

As well as a minimum 12-month ban, magistrates must decide what severity of fine to impose on O’Hanlon.

Hanlon, who can also expect a medium length community order, will be sentenced on Tuesday, August 5.

Source

Conservative - Drink Driving

07:00 - 16 June 2008

A councillor convicted of drink-driving has apologised to his Clevedon constituents for letting them down.

Stanley Vyce, pictured, a Conservative member of North Somerset Council, was stopped by police at 5.15am on May 24 after returning from a party in Bristol.

At a hearing at North Somerset Magistrates' Court, it was revealed that 28-year-old Mr Vyce, of Newlands Green, Clevedon, had 52 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath - the limit is 35mg.

He pleaded guilty to drink-driving and was banned from driving for a year. He was also ordered to pay a £250 fine, a £15 victim surcharge and £60 costs.

Mr Vyce, who has been suspended from North Somerset's Conservative group in line with national party rules, said he was sorry for what he had done and felt embarrassed and humiliated by his court appearance.

He apologised to residents who voted for him in last May's elections.

Mr Vyce had been out with work friends in Bristol on the night he was stopped by police in Northern Way, Clevedon. They had visited a restaurant and a bar before going back to a friend's house.

The councillor, who joined the Conservative party at the age of 16 while a student at Backwell School, said: "I did not believe I was over the limit when I drove home.

"I did have a drink of Blackthorn cider but was also drinking soft drinks and the test showed I was about two-thirds of a pint over the legal limit.

"I feel very stupid about what has happened. I am really sorry and want to apologise to the local people who voted for me.

"This was a strong Labour seat and the people of the town put their trust and belief in me and the Conservative party, and I feel I have let them down."

Mr Vyce, a pensions administrator, said it was difficult to attend meetings without a car so he was reconsidering his position as a councillor for the town's central ward.

Council leader Nigel Ashton said the Conservative group would discuss Mr Vyce's drink-drive conviction at its meeting on Tuesday.

Source

Tags: drink driving

Labour - Drink driving

A SENIOR councillor at the centre of a drink-driving investigation was today suspended from the Labour Party.

Coun Eddie McAtominey was arrested after a crash in Victoria Road West, Hebburn, on Monday night.

He is one of the longest-serving members of South Tyneside Council, and the borough's representative on Northumbria Police Authority,

Coun McAtominey, representative for Hebburn South, was heading towards his home in Sullivan Walk, Hebburn, when he was involved in what police called "a minor crash."

He was arrested on suspicion of drink driving, and taken to South Shields police station.

Coun McAtominey today denied the allegations and said he'd 'fight' them.

But this afternoon, Neil Fleming, spokesman for Labour North, said: "As of this morning, Coun Eddie McAtominey has been suspended from the Labour Party.

"That means he can hold no office within the party until the investigation is complete."

Source

Tags: Drink Driving

SNP - Drink driving shame

THE Head of Wigtown Licensing Board, Robert Higgins, appeared in handcuffs in Stranraer Sheriff Court on Monday charged with drink driving.

A drink too many at a golf charity event saw him drive home with part of a fence he had demolished en route stuck in the framework of his car.

The Leader of the SNP on Dumfries and Galloway Council, who spent the weekend in police cells, was found by officers on Friday night sitting in his wrecked car outside his home, 'Davaar' in Royal Crescent, Stranraer, smelling of alcohol after leaving a trail of destruction behind him on the A75 Euro-Route.

The embarrassed Councillor stood before Sheriff Tom Millar to plead guilty to the three charges.

The Sheriff fined the SNP Leader of the Council £900, banned him from driving for two years and recommended that he undertake an Alcohol Rehabilitation Course.

Sixty-one year old Cllr Higgins, who won his seat on the Council at last year's May elections, resigned the following day as the chair of the Wigtown Licensing Board and as Council leader of the SNP.

In a statement to the full Council on Tuesday, Cllr Higgins said: "I have advised the Chief Executive of Dumfries and Galloway Council that on Friday, 16th May 2008 I was charged with a number of road traffic offences.

"I appeared at Stranraer Sheriff Court on Monday 19th May and pled guilty to three charges. That is a matter of public record.

"I accept full responsibility for my actions and the consequences. I deeply regret these offences which, apart from fixed penalties for speeding, is my first and, having learned a very salutary lesson, will be my last. I apologise and have asked for the forgiveness of my family and friends.

"I have advised the Scottish National Party of the situation, and have resigned as leader of the SNP Group on Dumfries and Galloway Council with immediate effect. I have also resigned as Chairman and as a member of the Wigtown Licensing Board.

"I apologise to my constituents and assure them that I shall, as always, make every effort to continue to represent them to the best of my ability as a member of Dumfries and Galloway Council.

"Any damage caused to the reputation of Dumfries and Galloway Council and the Scottish National Party is also deeply regretted."

Cllr Higgins was charged with driving without due care and attention on the A75 near Whitecrook Farm, Glenluce, of losing control of his vehicle, travelling along the nearside verge for 81 metres, colliding with and damaging several road hazard marker posts, then crossing onto the opposite carriageway and colliding with a wire fence and a road diversion sign.

He was also charged with failing to stop at the scene and failing to provide two samples of breath for analysis at Stranraer Police Station.

Depute Procurator Fiscal Kay Jardine told the Court that at 7pm on the night in question Higgins was observed by witnesses at the County Golf Course Clubhouse, near Glenluce, as being "under the influence of alcohol and unsteady on his feet." She said that as Higgins had spent much of the day playing golf, bar staff were surprised at his condition as, to their knowledge, he had only drunk two pints of Guinness. But, as bottles of whisky were among the prizes, the staff assumed the Councillor had been sampling the prizes before deciding to drive the eight miles home to Stranraer.

Half an hour later drivers began phoning the police to report debris strewn across the A75 Euro route near Whitecrook Farm road end, a mile from the golf course exit. Cars were seen taking evasive action to avoid hitting the debris and one driver was witnessed stopping to move the debris off the road. But the inebriated Councillor had continued to drive on into Stranraer where, at 7.40pm, his badly damaged car was picked up by a CCTV operator when turning off London Road into Royal Crescent.

The Fiscal said: "The police arrived to find the accused's car with most of the front bumper missing, the air bags deflated and a wooden stob wedged in the offside wheel arch."

Councillor Higgins was then asked to get out of the car but initially he had difficulty doing this due to the damage to the driver's door. Police reported he was "smelling of alcohol, slurring his words, and unsteady on his feet" and he was taken by police car to Stranraer Police Station.

When there, he was asked to provide two specimens of breath for analysis, but the Cllr sucked on the tube instead of blowing into it. He also repeatedly took the tube out of his mouth although instructed not to do so. All attempts to get a satisfactory sample failed and the Cllr was accused by the police of "non co-operation." But Cllr Higgins had replied that he had not failed to co-operate, but his attempts to give a sample were compromised by his need to go to the toilet.

His defence solicitor Paul Feeney said in mitigation that his client was a hard working councillor who was embarrassed to find himself in court for the first time, after driving for 45 years. He said the Councillor recollects having a drink with friends at the golf course but admitted it was an "unexplained act of folly" to then drive home, compounded by his failure to stop after the accident. Mr Feeney added that by the time Cllr Higgins was taken to the Police Station he was in a "state of shock and disorientation" and had little recollection of his attempts to give a breath sample.

The lawyer concluded: "This is a sorry incident and Mr Higgins wants to put it behind him as soon as possible."

Mr Higgins has served Wigtownshire as a Councillor for 15 years.

Source

Lib Dem Councillor - Tagged for drink driving

A DRINK-DRIVING parish councillor will stay in her post - despite a curfew and tagging order which makes it illegal for her to attend meetings.

Former Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Kate Smith was given a 36-month driving ban, a community service order and a 7pm to 7am curfew, after being caught driving while over the alcohol limit.

She must wear an electronic tag which is linked to a tracking device in her house for 12 weeks.

But as Crich Parish Council meetings begin at 7.30pm, Ms Smith will be unable to attend until the curfew is served.

Ms Smith declined to comment, but said she had an agreement with her party that any subsequent press enquiries about the matter must be dealt with by regional party chairman Gavin Sarkas-Bosman.

Mr Sarkas-Bosman said: "It's a disappointment, but that has to be balanced with the good work Kate's been doing locally.

"But it's a serious offence for which she's got an appropriate punishment."

Mr Sarkas-Bosman said Ms Smith had the backing of the party and parish to continue as a councillor.

"It's a small parish council and she has a very supportve network of family and friends if driving becomes an issue.

"She will be able to ask questions and put forward her views in advance of meetings," he added.

Ms Smith was expected to stand as the Liberal Democrat's Amber Valley Borough Council candidate for Crich, but it was likely she will now be asked not to stand.

Mr Sarkas-Bosman said: "We have talked about it in the party and it's about getting a balance and she should consider carefully whether to put herself forward.

"I think it's a very strong possibility we would ask her to consider the appropriateness of that."

Ms Smith was found driving over the alcohol limit at the end of February and convicted at Derby magistrates court on March 11.

The driving ban could be shortened depending on Ms Smith's performance after 24 months.

Ms Smith stood as Liberal Democrats parliamentary candidate in 2001 and 2005.

Source

Lib Dem Councillor - Second ban for drink driving

SHAMED councillor Tony Rounthwaite has been caught drink-driving again.

The Liberal Democrat who represents Jesmond North on Newcastle City Council was more than twice the limit when he was arrested last Thursday.

In 2006, he was marginally over the required level and banned.

Now he has been convicted of being over the limit for the second time in two years - this time without a driving licence.

Rounthwaite resisted calls for him to quit as a councillor after his previous court appearance.

But he is facing a further political storm following his conviction last Friday at North Tyneside magistrates’ court.

Coun Nick Forbes, leader of the opposition Labour group, said: “To commit an offence like this once is bad enough. To do it again shows a lack of respect for the law and a lack of regard for the consequences of his actions.

“If he doesn’t have the decency to resign, the Lib Dems should throw him out.’’

The 57-year-old, of Queen’s Road, Jesmond, was stopped on February 21 in Longbenton.

He appeared before North Shields magistrates the following day, where it was said he had 82 mgs of alcohol to 100 mls of breath - 35mgs is the legal limit.

Rounthwaite was convicted of drink driving and fined £200 with £43 costs.

Magistrates disqualified him from driving for three years and ordered him to complete a drink-driving rehabilitation course before 2010.

A police spokesman said: “He was convicted for driving above the limit and without a licence, fined £200 with costs, ordered to attend a drink drive rehabilitation course and disqualified from driving.”

Following his previous drink-drive offence, Rounthwaite, was forced to resign from three prominent posts.

He stepped down as the city council’s executive member for neighbourhood management and community, chairman of the Safe Newcastle Partnership and as a member of the Northumbria Police Authority.

His car was written-off in an accident eight days before May’s local elections.

Then he was driving along the A189 towards Blyth, and said a plastic bag blew on to his windscreen as he drove at about 60mph and he veered off the road.

No other vehicles were involved. Police also attended, and after the breath test proved borderline, he was asked to provide a blood sample at a police station.

He said at the time: “I’d had two glasses of wine. I certainly didn’t think I was over the limit or I wouldn’t have dreamed of driving.”

The resignations cut his income to just a quarter of his outgoings and a court was told then he may have to sell his home.

He refused to resign as a councillor and insisted it was business as usual .

Today Rounthwaite was unavailable for comment.

Coun John Shipley, the council’s Lib Dem leader, said: “Group officers have met and agreed to instigate disciplinary procedures and a hearing will be held.”

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Conservative - Councillor on Drink Driving Charge

A councillor who has been charged with drink- driving has quit the Tory group on Torbay Council after he admits to being 'stupid'.

But Shiphay councillor Roger Kerslake, who is deputy chairman of the bay's licensing committee, has said he will stay on the council.Mr Kerslake, 64, was detained by police on Friday, December 28, after a car hit a wall in Torquay at 4.15pm.

A BMW hit the surrounding wall of the Inglenook Hotel in Belgrave Road, and police were called to the scene. A search was made for the driver and a man was arrested a short time later.

He was later bailed by police to appear in a Torbay court to face a charge of driving with excess alcohol. If convicted he faces at least a year ban from the road, plus a fine.

Mr Kerslake, who is retired, lives in Shiphay, and was elected to the council in May last year. Until his resignation from the Tory group yesterday he was deputy chairman of the council's licensing committee, and the council's representative on the Devon and Somerset fire authority.

He said: "I have yet to consult a solicitor but I shall be pleading guilty.

"I had been out to a bar for a drink.

"I admit I was the driver, it was my car and I had a breath- test which gave a reading of 77, almost double the legal limit.

"I resigned from the Conservative group as I felt stupid. I have let the group down and I feel I have to show remorse that what I did was the wrong thing to do."

He says at the moment he intends to stay on as a councillor.

"I shall have to wait to see what the court decides," he added.

"It was a stupid incident and I totally regret my actions."

He is due to appear at South Devon Magistrates Court in Torquay on January 17.

Leader of the Conservative Group Cllr Kevin Carroll, who is also Torbay's deputy mayor, said Mr Kerslake has resigned his membership of the party group and so loses all his posts on licensing and the fire authority.

Mr Carroll said: "I believe he is staying on as a councillor.

"He was elected by the people of Shiphay and I don't have the power to remove him as a councillor.

"We, as a group, do not condone this behaviour, but at the same time I believe he feels quite foolish and embarrassed about what was a silly thing to do.

"Unfortunately none of us is perfect and we make mistakes, but as a representative of the people we should be clear about the responsibility of a public position."

Mr Kerslake's resignation from the council Tories means they now have 23 councillors. The Lib-Dems have eight and Independents three, with one independent Lib-Dem and Mr Kerslake as an independent Conservative.

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Tory Driving Ban

A JUDGE has ruled that Northampton South MP Brian Binley's six-month driving penalty for speeding should stand, because he had enough funds to provide replacement transport for himself during the ban.

Yesterday he made an appeal before Northampton Crown Court to have the ban overturned as it would mean his constituents would suffer "undue hardship" if he could not drive to appointments.

The 65-year-old county councillor was banned for six months in March by Towcester magistrates after admitting travelling at 37mph in his Jaguar XJ6 in a 30mph zone in Wellingborough.

More on this miscreant here