Court denies commissioner early end to driving ban

Local authority member handed five-year ban in 2016

A local authority member has been denied an early end to a five-year ban imposed after his second drink-drive conviction.

Garff commissioner Nigel Anthony Dobson of Ballachrink Drive in Onchan appeared before magistrates at Douglas courthouse.

The 67-year-old asked the bench to restore his licence after being disqualified in September 2016.

Prosecution advocate James Robinson told the court Dobson had been previously banned for drink-driving in 2009 and police caught him driving whilst disqualified in 2011.

Dobson was banned in 2016 with just weeks left of the general election campaign as he stood for the House of Keys.

He eventually polled just 231 votes, the lowest number of the five candidates in the constituency.

His advocate said Dobson’s wife was unwell and his client wanted to be able to drive her to appointments at hospital.

Magistrates refused to reinstate his driving licence, but said he would be able to apply again on 26 September, the fourth anniversary of his conviction.