REPUBLIC of Ireland footballer Darron Gibson has pleaded guilty to crashing his sports car into a cyclist while drink-driving and then fleeing the scene.
Gibson (27), from Derry, was behind the wheel of his black Nissan Skyline GT-R Nismo when it ploughed into three cyclists who had stopped at the side of the road to fix a broken chain.
The cyclist directly hit by Gibson's car received cuts to his legs, elbow and hand and his £4,500 carbon composite bike was written off.
The Everton midfielder was said to have driven off at speed before he pulled into a petrol station nearby in his home town of Bowdon, Cheshire, and collided with a petrol pump.
Police were called by a concerned petrol attendant after Gibson then got out of his car with no shoes on and filled his vehicle with fuel on the morning of August 16 .
Today, the Republic of Ireland international entered guilty pleas at Trafford Magistrates Court to driving with excess alcohol, driving without due care and attention and failing to stop after a accident had occurred.
Chair of the bench Susanne O'Connell told Gibson that the failure to stop offence was "serious enough" to merit a community penalty.
Gibson will speak to the Probation Service at court before sentencing takes place later.
Subhanar Chowdhury, prosecuting, said the three cyclists stopped in Park Road near the junction of Dunham Road and moved to the pavement to fix the chain.
Witnesses described Gibson driving "too fast" on to Park Road, which resulted in him mounting the pavement and colliding with the men.
Gibson then drove to the nearby Shell garage in Dunham Road, the court heard.
Mr Chowdhury said: "As he pulled on to the petrol station forecourt, he has collided with the raised kerb and fuel pump, causing damage to the lower part of the pump.
"He then gets out of his car, was described as not wearing any shoes and he has attempted to fill his vehicle."
Police noticed an "obvious strong smell of alcohol" on Gibson's breath when they attended, and the footballer and his vehicle were then positively identified by one of the cyclists.
Gibson was arrested and taken to a police station where he gave a positive reading of 57 microgrammes per 100 millilitres of breath - the legal limit being 35.
Mr Chowdhury said the defendant fully acknowledged in interview what he had done.
Gibson told police that he had been out the previous evening with Everton team-mates and had drunk "copious amounts of alcohol".
He said he later arrived home and had an argument with his wife which led to him leaving in his car.
Gibson was banned from driving for 20 months and sentenced to a 12-month community order, with an unpaid work requirement of 200 hours.
He was ordered to pay compensation of £4,500 for the damaged bicycle and £1,000 to the injured biker Philip Quinn - plus £100 each to the two other cyclists.
Gibson was also told to pay £295 court costs.
A statement from the most injured cyclist, Philip Quinn, was read out to the court in which he recalled hearing "the roar of an engine and the skidding of tyres" at the junction of Park Road and Dunham Road.
The next thing, he recalled, he was thrown into the air off his Kuota K-Uno bike.
He said: "I saw my bike laying on the road in pieces and the black car driving on to Dunham Road at speed.
"I initially thought the car had hit us on purpose because it mounted the pavement."
Mr Quinn said he sustained cuts to both legs, swelling to his left leg, cuts to his left elbow and right hand, as well as pain to the left side of his ribcage and bruising and soreness to his lower back.
The second cyclist, Simon Howe, suffered soreness to his hips and back after Mr Quinn's bicycle struck him in the collision.
No details of the injuries sustained by third cyclist Andrew Moran were provided to the court.
Oliver Jarvis, defending, told the court: "I take absolutely no issue with any of those facts that have been opened.
"The tone of mitigation is of remorse, apology, embarassment, shame and regret."
Passing a letter to the bench from the club secretary of Everton, the solicitor said Gibson had never had any disciplinary issues at the club.
He said: "This is a man who has led an impeccable life until this appalling catalogue of offending behaviour that morning.
"I make no excuses. He specifically asks me not to make any for him.
"The defendant had been out the night before to celebrate a birthday with some of the other players at Everton.
"The wives were out separately.
"The defendant was happy to be out because he had not played with the team until April previously."
He said Gibson had injury problems, a fifth metatarsal fracture and latterly a stomach injury which led to a hernia and an operation.
Gibson was "very low" at not being able to play and had taken "various painkillers" following his operation, Mr Jarvis said.
On the night out he drank mainly lager and later "one or two vodkas".
The solicitor said Gibson, who did not usually drink, later had an argument at home with his wife, Danielle - who sat in the public gallery today.
Mr Jarvis said he did not intend to go into the details of their row and said that Gibson left their home in Bowdon "not going anywhere in particular".
He went on: "The defendant's recollection of the events is hazy. He accepts everything that has been said about him.
"He remembers ringing his wife at the petrol station (Shell garage in Dunham Road) saying he had been involved in an accident.
"His father-in-law then came and paid for his petrol.
"It is out of character. The defendant is extremely apologetic and remorseful, not just for the embarrassment he has brought on his family back home in Ireland but his wife and the football club he plays for."
The court heard that Gibson had no previous convictions and had driven since the age of 19.
Derry-born Gibson was told his ban could be reduced by five months if he completed a drink-driving awareness course.
He left the court without comment.
