DISGRACED COUNCILLOR HANDED SUSPENDED PRISON SENTENCE AND LENGTHY DRIVING BAN

Disgraced former town councillor Thomas Hanley has been handed a suspended prison sentence and a near 3-year driving ban after crashing his car whilst more than 4x the drink-drive limit. It was on 30th December last year that Police were called to the Co-Operative car park on George Street in Ryde to reports of a collision involving a VW ID.3. 5 vehicles had been seriously damaged including a Mercedes-Benz, a Vauxhall, a Kia and a Toyota. Several pedestrians narrowly avoided being hit also. Concerns were raised by those present that the driver, 62-year-old Tom Hanley, was drinking from an open can of beer in the car. To responding officers, it was clear he had been drinking and he soon made admissions that he’d consumed 4 cans. Whilst en route to Newport Police Station, it is said that Hanley became passive-aggressive to officers stating that they would ‘lose their job’ – because of his role as a councillor. Hanley appeared before the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court on 16th January, where he pleaded guilty to the offence of drink driving. The court heard he gave an evidential breathalyser reading of 141 – the legal limit being just 35. As news of his conviction broke, Hanley handed in his resignation as a town councillor for the Ryde Appley and Elmfield ward – although emails from Island Echo seeking to confirm this were ignored by both Hanley and Ryde Town Council. The 62-year-old was elected to office in November 2022 under the ‘Our Ryde’ banner. He will soon be replaced when a by-election is held. At a sentencing hearing today (Friday), Magistrates heard further details about Hanley’s life from the Probation Service. A pre-sentence report, which was requested at the 16th January hearing, detailed that drink was a problem for him and that stresses that came with his previous role as a town councillor contributed to his alcohol consumption. Hanley has since sought help from the Isorropia Foundation and is seeing a therapist weekly. Speaking on behalf of Hanley, Mr Arnett said that he was ‘bitterly ashamed’ and apologises for his actions, adding that he has completely lost his reputation as a result of this incident. Arnett urged the Magistrates not to send the 62-year-old through the custody door, stating that all that had been caused during the incident was property damage and inconvenience as opposed to injury. A letter of apology was also previously handed to Magistrates. Hanley appeared at the court with a holdall full of his personal effects, preparing for a custodial sentence – should the bench hand him one. After retiring to consider their verdict, Magistrates handed Hanley an 8-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months. He was banned from driving for 34 months and ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work. Magistrates said they were appalled when they read the details of the case and rarely see readings so high. Thomas Hanley was ordered to pay costs of £85 and a £154 surcharge fee.