" Tom Lawrence learns punishment after drink driving "
Fri Oct 04, 2019 11:31 pm
BBC
Tom Lawrence and Mason Bennett have been fined six weeks' wages by Derby County after the Rams pair were charged with drink-driving.
Saturday 5th September 2019
Lawrence, 25, and Bennett, 23, were arrested after a crash in the city on 24 September and are due to appear in court on 15 October.
The Championship club have also ordered the pair to serve 80 hours of community service and rehabilitation.
Derby said the fine was the maximum their contracts allowed.
The incident after a team night out that led to Wales midfielder Lawrence and striker Bennett being charged, also resulted in captain Richard Keogh being sidelined for up to 15 months with a knee injury.
The Rams said they had now completed their internal disciplinary hearing regarding Lawrence and Bennett, who will also have to attend a drink aware course as part of their rehabilitation.
"The club will not tolerate any of its players or staff behaving in a manner which puts themselves, their colleagues, and members of the general public at risk of injury or worse, or which brings the club into disrepute," a statement said.
Both players were left out of last weekend's squad, but returned to play in Wednesday's draw at Barnsley and could feature at Pride Park on Saturday against Luton.
Bennett, who is Derby's youngest-ever player having made his debut at the age of 15, also released a statement saying that he "should have known better".
"On the night of Tuesday, 24 September, I made huge mistakes after consuming alcohol," the statement said. "What I did was wrong.
"Being a footballer and someone who young fans look up to, I know the example I set is key. I am ashamed.
"At 23 I am old enough, and I was brought up, to know better.
"I understand that such actions have serious consequences. I take full responsibility for my actions and accept the punishment that the club has issued.
"I have to and will learn from these events and will strive to be a better person.
"There's no excuse for what I've done. I'm sorry to my family, my friends, the club, all Derby supporters and to the wider football community, I let you all down."
Tom Lawrence and Mason Bennett have been fined six weeks' wages by Derby County after the Rams pair were charged with drink-driving.
Saturday 5th September 2019
Lawrence, 25, and Bennett, 23, were arrested after a crash in the city on 24 September and are due to appear in court on 15 October.
The Championship club have also ordered the pair to serve 80 hours of community service and rehabilitation.
Derby said the fine was the maximum their contracts allowed.
The incident after a team night out that led to Wales midfielder Lawrence and striker Bennett being charged, also resulted in captain Richard Keogh being sidelined for up to 15 months with a knee injury.
The Rams said they had now completed their internal disciplinary hearing regarding Lawrence and Bennett, who will also have to attend a drink aware course as part of their rehabilitation.
"The club will not tolerate any of its players or staff behaving in a manner which puts themselves, their colleagues, and members of the general public at risk of injury or worse, or which brings the club into disrepute," a statement said.
Both players were left out of last weekend's squad, but returned to play in Wednesday's draw at Barnsley and could feature at Pride Park on Saturday against Luton.
Bennett, who is Derby's youngest-ever player having made his debut at the age of 15, also released a statement saying that he "should have known better".
"On the night of Tuesday, 24 September, I made huge mistakes after consuming alcohol," the statement said. "What I did was wrong.
"Being a footballer and someone who young fans look up to, I know the example I set is key. I am ashamed.
"At 23 I am old enough, and I was brought up, to know better.
"I understand that such actions have serious consequences. I take full responsibility for my actions and accept the punishment that the club has issued.
"I have to and will learn from these events and will strive to be a better person.
"There's no excuse for what I've done. I'm sorry to my family, my friends, the club, all Derby supporters and to the wider football community, I let you all down."
Re: " Tom Lawrence learns punishment after drink driving "
Sat Oct 05, 2019 2:58 am
Statement prepared by his agent no doubt
Re: " Tom Lawrence learns punishment after drink driving "
Sat Oct 05, 2019 6:22 am
The right outcome.
The next part will be a driving ban, another court fine and more community service.
They dont deserve prison time and hopefully this will serve as a big lesson to others not to do it.
They should make a documentary following them through the community service they serve to raise awareness about drink driving , especially coming up to xmas.
The next part will be a driving ban, another court fine and more community service.
They dont deserve prison time and hopefully this will serve as a big lesson to others not to do it.
They should make a documentary following them through the community service they serve to raise awareness about drink driving , especially coming up to xmas.
Re: " Tom Lawrence learns punishment after drink driving "
Sat Oct 05, 2019 10:20 am
The club can't order the pair to serve 80 hours of community service and rehabilitation only a court of law can do that. Suspect it is a ploy to get the court not to give them to much community service as it would interfere with their training etc and they will just do school vista and other stuff which they would have done anyway.
Re: " Tom Lawrence learns punishment after drink driving "
Sat Oct 05, 2019 12:50 pm
Depends what the club defines as community service.
The club may think that coaching a group kids from a deprived area, or clearing the car park of snow on a matchday to be suitable, but the courts and probation service will have a totally different view.
They're fortunate that they weren't sacked.
The club may think that coaching a group kids from a deprived area, or clearing the car park of snow on a matchday to be suitable, but the courts and probation service will have a totally different view.
They're fortunate that they weren't sacked.
Re: " Tom Lawrence learns punishment after drink driving "
Sun Oct 06, 2019 12:05 am
Crayfish wrote:The club can't order the pair to serve 80 hours of community service and rehabilitation only a court of law can do that. Suspect it is a ploy to get the court not to give them to much community service as it would interfere with their training etc and they will just do school vista and other stuff which they would have done anyway.
The magistrates should give them both 200 hrs community service,it's designed to interfere in their lives,same as "normal" folk,just my opinion, didn't Lawrence score today also
nice win bonus 
j
Re: " Tom Lawrence learns punishment after drink driving "
Sun Oct 06, 2019 9:15 am
Both will go to prison. The prosecution will quote Tony Adams.
Re: " Tom Lawrence learns punishment after drink driving "
Wed Oct 09, 2019 8:20 pm
Who was actually driving the car? Surely not both of them?
Re: " Tom Lawrence learns punishment after drink driving "
Wed Oct 09, 2019 10:35 pm
HarriRhys22 wrote:Who was actually driving the car? Surely not both of them?
They were driving their own cars allegedly racing!