Share

Northern Ireland boss admits drink-driving

London - Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill was banned from driving for 16 months on Thursday after pleading guilty to drink-driving in the Scottish city of Edinburgh.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard O'Neill, 48, was stopped by police on the outskirts of the city in the early hours of September 10 and found to be three times over the legal drink-drive limit.

He was also fined £1 300 (R23 200).

"This was simply a bad error of judgement on the part of Mr O'Neill," O'Neill's solicitor, James Mulgrew, told the court.

O'Neill led Northern Ireland to the last 16 at last year's European Championship in France, which was their first major tournament appearance since the 1986 World Cup.

They face Switzerland in a two-legged 2018 Soccer World Cup playoff next month.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
66% - 578 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
34% - 301 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE