A drink-driver from Castletown has been given a suspended sentence and been banned from driving for six years.

Carl Andrew Wilson, of Orry Place, was spoken to by police after an accident on Richmond Hill near Douglas on April 23.

A breath test taken by Wilson recorded 96 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres – the legal limit is 35.

He was sentenced to 10 weeks custody suspended for two years and also ordered to pay £665 costs.

At the scene of the accident Wilson initially said it was a friend who was driving and that he had been the passenger, before admitting that he had been driving himself.

Defending Wilson in court, advocate Steve Wood said: ‘The aggravating factors are that there was an accident, this is the second similar offence in 10 years and the reading was high.

‘Time was taken as the defence wished to seek a doctor’s report over Mr Wilson’s fitness to plead.

‘Reading the probation report one can see there were good grounds to have concerns. But once the doctor had given his views he pleaded guilty quickly once the green light was given.

‘He suffers from agoraphobia and has intense feelings of anxiety when he is required to be in a location he doesn’t feel comfortable in, such as court.

‘At the time of the incident he made certain comments but he was not under caution.

‘When he was later arrested it was after a period of detention and after seeing a doctor and getting his medication.

‘He does suffer, so I would ask you not to read too much into his comments at the side of the road.

‘He has admitted responsibility and his guilt.

‘Mr Wilson suffers from certain difficulties in terms of his mental health, though he is fit to plead.

‘He has suffered sleepless nights. He knows you can impose immediate custody and that has caused him deep anxiety.

‘He looks after his mother and her daily living requirements would need consideration if he is sent to prison.

‘Unfortunately this is his second similar offence in a 10-year period so he is looking at a considerable disqualification.’

Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes said: ‘You made a comment at the scene that your mate was driving and you were a passenger but I accept your shame is genuine and give you credit for your guilty plea.’

‘You previously served 42 days custody and attended a drink-drive rehabilitation course but it doesn’t seem to have worked.

‘But I note the impact of custody is likely to be great and there are just grounds to justify suspending the sentence.’

A 42-year-old Port Erin man has been fined £600 after pleading guilty in court to driving without due care and having no insurance.

Mark Swales, of Droghadfayle Road, also had his driving licence endorsed with eight penalty points.

The court heard how, on April 7 at 4.45am, Swales was driving his Citroen C3 on the A3 Glen Helen Road from Ballig to Laurel Bank.

A witness was driving a Ford Fiesta along the road in the opposite direction who said conditions were dark and wet.

As Swales negotiated a series of bends he was said to have lost control of the car, mounting a verge, before the car flipped over into the oncoming carriageway and collided with the Fiesta.

Swales said to police: ‘I came around the bend, saw headlights and I dipped mine. It’s my fault, she hit me after I lost control.’

The court heard that Swales was not insured due to non-payment of premiums.

Defence advocate Deborah Myerscough told the court: ‘My client moved to the island in December to work as a farmer. His insurance payments are made via direct debit.

‘He opened an Isle of Man account and closed his UK accounts but didn’t move the direct debit. It was an oversight.

‘Mr Swales has held insurance since he passed his test in the early 1990s. His licence is important to him, as a farmer he has to get up early.

‘His insurance company sent him a policy but cancelled it as soon as he stopped paying the direct debit.’

Swales was fined £350 for having no insurance and £250 for driving without due care and attention.

Denise Foxton and Steve Allan, both of Douglas, tied the knot at a ceremony at Abbeylands Chapel.

Denise is a cook and Steve is a engineer.

The couple’s reception was held at the Sefton Hotel.

We print wedding photographs for free in our newspapers.

Send details and a Jpeg photograph to newsdesk@newsiom.co.im

Always include a daytime phone number.

Photo by Brian Mitchell Photography.

Learn more about the British Film Institute (BFI) at a special lecture to be held at the Manx Museum.

The BFI National Archive is among the largest and most diverse moving image archives in the world and is currently in the midst of a five-year digitisation project to make thousands of films, many unseen for decades, available online.

Gemma Starkey and Simon McCallum will present the ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ lecture which will provide an insight into the project and the organisation’s connection to the island, and give a glimpse of an Edwardian Isle of Man.

It will take place on Saturday, September 10. Doors open at 1.30pm for a 2pm start. Tickets cost £6 and can be purchased from the Manx Museum shop or at www.manxnationalheritage.im

The lecture is part of the Isle of Man Film Festival.

The finest Manx ingredients will be on show when the Isle of Man Chef of the Year and Student Chef of the Year finals take place.

David Hall from Macfarlane’s restaurant and Zaneta Krol from Haworths restaurant, both in Douglas, will contest the Chef of the Year title at next month’s Isle of Man Food and Drink Festival.

David will cook roasted Manx brill, confit Manx pollock with lemon and thyme-infused Manx rapeseed oil, Manx cauliflower puree and pickled fennel.

Zaneta will create a Manx honey parfait with Okells Aile porter sorbet.

Roy Macfarlane, owner of Macfarlane’s, said: ‘Both finalists have done so well to get through to the final. Congratulations to them.

‘David has shown great maturity, coming through Isle of Man College of Further and Higher Education and developing so well as a chef at our restaurant.

‘His dish showcases Manx seafood and Manx produce with imagination and skill and I will be delighted to include his dish on our menu soon.’

Zaneta commented: ‘Being in the Chef of the Year final gives me an amazing opportunity to showcase the wonderful ingredients that the island has to offer.

‘My honey dessert focuses on an ingredient that, in my opinion isn’t utilised enough. It is a natural product that the Island can be proud of.’

Student Chef of the Year finalists Henry Tung and John McMullen are learning their trade at University College Isle of Man – which offers BTEC, GCSE and NVQ qualifications in hospitality, catering and food and drink.

Henry will cook pan-seared Manx duck with caramelised figs and onions, accompanied by a peppered rosti, bacon and sage crumb and a cherry and port jus.

John’s dish is a rack of Manx lamb cooked in hay with courgette and mint and Manx cheese potato cake, with carrot and turnip puree and a red wine sauce.

The Chef of the Year will receive £500 cash plus advertising to the same value for their place of work, a trophy and a certificate. The Student Chef of the Year will receive £250, a trophy and a certificate.

The competitions are sponsored by Robinson’s.

The competitions are among the highlights of the Isle of Man Food and Drink Festival, sponsored by Magnet IOM Ltd, which takes place at the Villa Marina Gardens on September 17 and 18.

Tickets for the festival cost £3 (day) and £5 (weekend) for adults, with admission free for under 16s.

Tickets can be booked via www.villagaiety.com

A 34-year-old Douglas man has been convicted of two counts of possessing cannabis.

Simon David Lomax, of Mona Street, pleaded guilty to the two offences and will be sentenced on October 4 at 10am.

The court heard how, on June 18, police were at Lomax’s home on an unrelated matter.

He was seen to drop a small item down the side of a chair.

Police seized the item which turned out to be a small amount of green vegetable matter later confirmed as being cannabis.

When quizzed about it Lomax said he had got the drug from a friend and that it was only for his own personal use.

The drug was weighed at 1.1 gram with a value of £22.

In a second incident, on August 12, police executed a search warrant at Lomax’s home address.

Two small bags of cannabis were found in Lomax’s bedroom, which he admitted were his and again said that the drug was for his personal use only.

Prosecutor James Robinson said that the cannabis had not been weighed but was estimated to have a value between £30 and £40.

Defending Lomax in court advocate Jim Travers asked for an adjournment to allow time for the preparation of a probation report before sentencing.

Bail was granted in the sum of £500 with a condition to attend probation meetings and co-operate with probation services for the preparation of their report.

House of Keys election candidate John Houghton has been told the UK’s Ministry of Justice won’t intervene to investigate his suspension from Tynwald.

And now he has reported the former Third Clerk of Tynwald and her husband to police accusing them of Facebook harassment.

Mr Houghton was suspended from Tynwald in May after he refused to apologise when a standards and members’ interests committee concluded he had ‘lied, bullied and inappropriately interfered in a staffing matter’.

The following month he wrote to Lord Faulks, then Minister of State at the UK Ministry of Justice, asking them to intervene on his behalf in a bid to clear his name.

But Mr Houghton told the Manx Independent that the MoJ wrote back to tell him it would not get involved in what they called a ‘judicial’ matter.

‘This is not a judicial matter, this is a political matter,’ he insisted. ‘I’ve not had a proper answer from them. They’ve just skimmed the surface. I’m awaiting a proper reply.’

In his letter to Lord Faulks, he wrote: ‘This unfair process has led to a serious constitutional issue which must be resolved as soon as possible to restore credibility to Tynwald. I would urge that due consideration of this matter be undertaken independently of the Isle of Man authorities.’

Mr Houghton insists he will not apologise when he says he has not done anything wrong.

He was referred to the standards committee after being accused of bullying the clerk and deputy clerk of Tynwald and Tony Wild MLC, his conduct precipitating the resignation of the Third Clerk of Tynwald, Marie Lambden.

He had accused Mrs Lambden of bullying a staff member but issued no apology when the allegation was withdrawn. She claimed her integrity had been questioned, her position undermined and her health had suffered as a result.

In another twist, Mr Houghton has reported Mrs Lambden and her husband Murray to police, accusing them of harassing him on Facebook. He claims the posted comments and a video clip shot without his consent were causing him ‘personal alarm and distress’.

Mr Lambden said his wife made only two comments on Facebook – the first to thank Tynwald for asking Mr Houghton to apologise and the second to correct statements made by him during an interview on MTTV.

Mr Lambden told the Manx Independent that he often posts on Facebook to ‘draw attention to the shame that Mr Houghton has brought to Tynwald and the Isle of Man.’ ‘We will not be withdrawing our comment, photos and video from Facebook,’ he added.

Mr Houghton said: ‘This has been reported to the police. They are dealing with the matter. They’ve made unfounded allegations.’

In June, Tynwald supported a motion tabled by the then Speaker and now president Steve Rodan that a member’s continued suspension after they get a fresh mandate may be undemocratic and that the issue should be reviewed by the standing orders committee.

Mr Houghton believes this will mean that should he be re-elected, his suspension will be quashed without his having to make an apology.

Another occasion that Mr Houghton did not apologise.

After a Manx Independent investigation revealed he was the only MHK not contributing to his pension, he said: ‘I have asked the Treasury to confirm that I have never received any reminders in relation to non-payment of contributions since the voluntary scheme began. Had I received such a helpful reminder, I would have acted upon it immediately.’

The other candidates in Douglas North are Karen Angela, David Ashford, Ralph Peake (defending) and Lynn Sirdefield.

A 26-year-old Douglas plumber has been fined £750 after a video featuring his girlfriend sparked an assault outside a pub.

Darren Noel Dooley, of Oak Avenue, pleaded guilty in court to common assault and was also ordered to pay £250 compensation to his victim.

The court heard how, on June 12, the assault victim had stopped to talk to a woman who was with Dooley outside the Stanley Hotel on West Quay in Ramsey.

When the victim tried to enter the pub Dooley said to him: ‘You’re sick you are’, then punched him on the jaw.

The man protested that he did not know who Dooley was but the attack continued with Dooley punching his victim around five more times.

He left the scene but was later found and arrested.

In court on Tuesday, defence advocate Deborah Myerscough said: ‘There has been an element of provocation. Mr Dooley has indicated that he had been shown a video and this, it would appear, has caused the incident.

‘Prior to this he had no convictions for two years, though prior to that, there were a number of convictions. But he stopped drinking and became serious about his work and family. He generally does not drink. He has apologised to the victim.’

Ms Myerscough went on to say that since 2012 Dooley had set up his own business as a plumber and now employed three people.

She submitted that a financial penalty or suspended sentence would be appropriate punishment.

‘He has never been in prison, the effect on him, his family and his employees would be significant,’ said the advocate.

‘I would suggest a suspended sentence would strongly send out a message that he must not engage in this type of behaviour.

‘It would be like the Sword of Damocles hanging over him. He has made an effort to apologise to the gentleman in this matter.’

Ms Myerscough also argued against a pub ban saying that Dooley frequented licensed premises to price up work and check work for his employees.

Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes gave Dooley credit for his guilty plea and said: ‘Your intoxication was the most aggravating feature of this offence. It is fortunate the victim wasn’t injured.

‘There were five punches to the victim. Provocation has been mentioned but your response was disproportionate.

‘The probation report says you didn’t consider yourself drunk. You need to consider the effect alcohol has on you.

‘I will treat this as a one-off offence but I do consider a licensing ban to be appropriate.’

Dooley was banned from purchasing or being sold alcohol for three months. He is however allowed to enter onlicensed premises.

Cronk y Voddy Ploughing Society has held an open day at Starvey Farm to raise funds to fight bowel cancer.

The event, organised by Jim Caine, gave people the chance to travel back to olden days, showing how many of the farms tasks were done.

Marion Caine, from the Ploughing Society said: ‘In present day, combines of various sizes move in to cut the corn but in days past, it was a far bigger job. ‘Men and women moved in with scythes, firstly to open roads round the fields making sheaves by hand and then making bands out of corn to tie round the sheave.’

Activities were demonstrated on the day such as straw rope making and all proceeds, through donations, will go to the Isle of Man Bowel Cancer charity.

A 26-year-old Douglas man has been fined £1,000 after an assault on his then pregnant partner.

Jordan Paul Walsh, of Westminster Terrace, pleaded guilty to two common assault charges and was also ordered to pay £500 compensation to the woman.

The court heard how, on November 7 last year, a row flared up between Walsh and his then girlfriend who was 26 weeks pregnant.

The two rowed about him receiving a text from an ex-partner and the woman ended up locking herself in the car outside in the street.

The row intensified as Walsh went outside and demanded to be let in the car, kicking the car window, to reinforce the point.

Once he was let in the vehicle, he sat in the back seat behind the victim, leaning into the front and digging his elbow into his ex’s stomach until she relinquished her mobile telephone to him.

In a second incident, on February 12, two weeks after the birth of their child, another row erupted with Walsh pushing the woman down onto a sofa at their home address. The row continued and she fled to the bedroom, telling the defendant: ‘I’m going to get myself a real man.’

Walsh was then said to have lunged at her pinning her on the bed and taking her telephone, before walking out.

In court on Tuesday, defence advocate Steve Wood said that, during the first incident, his client had not deliberately dug his elbow into his victim’s stomach and this was accepted by the prosecutor.

A basis of plea was entered saying that Walsh had been reckless rather than having intent to do harm.

Mr Wood said: ‘His intention was to get the phone, not to cause her discomfort. It was a relatively brief exchange. She said the phone was digging into her stomach but he didn’t hear her, but he accepts she may have said it. Had he heard her say that she was in pain he would have stopped.

‘Prior to being with the complainant Mr Walsh had been in a seven year relationship with another lady which ended. Following that he struck up a relationship with the complainant. It was one in its infancy but one that might not have got as far as it did had she not become pregnant.

‘He accepts his behaviour in getting into the car and reaching for the phone without regard for her is completely unacceptable. Then there was arguably the more serious incident in February but again, not one where there were any unpleasant injuries. He is not heavily convicted. At the time of these offences he only had a caution.’

Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes said: ‘I don’t consider the custody threshold has been crossed and will deal with the matters by way of a financial penalty.’

The fire service is investigating an explosion that took place in a Douglas house on Friday morning.

It happened at 11.51am in the kitchen of a property in Devonshire Road, Ballabrooie.

Fire fighters suspect a gas leak.

A woman inside was unharmed as she was in another part of the property at the time of the explosion.

But she managed to quickly isolate gas supplies before fire service arrived, which minimised further damage to the kitchen.

Crews checked the property to ensure it was safe and removed a small amount of smoke using a positive pressure fan.

Damage was confined to the contents of the kitchen.

A lucky four-year-old has won a giant Pudsey Bear after entering a raffle.

Chloe McCarthy entered the Lloyds Bank donation only raffle held at the Royal Manx Agriculture Show at Knockaloe Farm in Patrick.

The raffle together with the sale of prints from Isle of Man Newspapers’ Photographer of the Year competition raised £510.

The money raised will go towards Children in Need, charity of the year for Lloyds Bank.

Children in Need provide grants to projects in the UK which focus on children and young people who are disadvantaged.

It helps small and large organisations which empower children and improve their life choices.

This year’s Royal Manx Agriculture show, which was held last month, featured animal and livestock competitions, a variety of displays and entertainment and the opportunity to sample locally produced food and drink.

The Cain family, from Crosby, took home the top prize of Supreme Champion with their limousin cow and calf

To find out more information about Children in Need and its work visit www.bbc.co.uk/corporate2/childreninneed

Graihagh Brew, from Governor’s Hill, has graduated from the University of Huddersfield with a first class honours degree in drama.

The daughter of Julie and Colin Brew attended Cronk-y-Berry Primary School and Ballakermeen High School.

Graihagh will begin studying for her PGCE teacher training this month at the University of Chester.

Send your graduation details to newsdesk@newsiom.co.im

New bibliotherapy sessions are being held at the Hub, Castletown Road, Port Erin, from 2pm to 3.30pm on September 14 and 28.

Reading of books is not a prerequisite for taking part explained Janet Bridle, hub co-ordinator. ‘This is not a book club. You don’t have to read a book from cover to cover in advance and then discuss it, the sessions are aimed at people who have a mutual interest in discussing a variety of different subjects.’

Leading the group is librarian Sandra Henderson, who said there is ‘lively group discussion on a wide variety of topics. We supply the books and then break the ice with questions and observations about the books we have brought to the session. It can be on anything - poems, childhood memories, holidays, hobbies, pets, travel.’

Faith walks across the island will be guided using an app developed by Rushen Heritage Trust.

The app, launched by the trust this summer, can be downloaded onto smartphones and used to give information - from special beacons placed at specific waypoints along the route - about points of interest on walks in Rushen.

This is the first such use of this technology in an outdoor setting anywhere in the world.

The trust has now psrtnered with Pilgrimage Isle of Man - a collaboration between the Cathedral IoM, Manx National Heritage, Praying the Keeills, and Manx geographer Dr Avril Maddrell, from the University of West England - and the initiative builds on the annual week of keeills walks.

Avril worked with the partner organisations to develop pilgrimage trails which explore the island’s faith heritage. The trails use existing footpaths and heritage sites, including the keeills, and the first two walking trails to be launched on Saturday (September 10) will be the Triskelion Way Pilgrimage which links Rushen Abbey, St German’s and Maughold; and the Raad ny Foillan Pilgrimage, which uses the coastal path to explore keeills and Manx crosses.

Road routes are also being developed for those who prefer to cycle or drive.

Historical information, prayers and reflections will be provided via the Pilgrimage IoM website and on the Isle of Man Walks App, there will aso be print copies available.

‘We thought that the Isle of Man Walks App would be a great way for people with smartphones to access the pilgrimage trail information because the app can be used offline,’ said Dr Maddrell. ‘The app can be downloaded straight to an Android or Apple smartphone, allowing users to access the information while walking, without needing a mobile phone signal.’

The launch of Pilgrimage Isle of Man takes place from 6.30pm on Saturday with ‘Journey of Reflection’ with Bishop Robert Paterson at Peel Castle, followed by a ‘Pilgrims’ Walk’ across the harbour to St German’s Cathedral, where there will be refreshments and a ‘Journey of Discovery’ gig with the Ruth Keggin Band.

To book free tickets, call 844830 and see more details at www.pilgrimageisleofman.im on September 10.

- To find out more about Rushen Heritage Trust’s apps, meet the team who have created the app, learn how the beacons work and find out how to download the app for free at Bradda Glen restaurant in Port Erin between 11am and 1pm on Saturday, October 1.

The trust, which has held an exhibition and festival based on internment this year, will hold an evening of ‘Stories of the Sea’ at the Falcon’s Nest on October 6. For more information, go to www.rushenheritage.org or www.isleofmanwalks.com

The Manx Blind Welfare Society is to hold a coffee morning on Friday, September 16, at 10.30am and bridge lunch on Friday September 30 at noon at Corrin Court, Heywood Avenue to raise funds.

Contact the Centre on 674727 for the coffee morning and Diana Killey on 624095 for the bridge luncheon.

A venue for general election candidates in Garff to speak in public has been moved.

It will take place in Dhoon Hall rather than Maughold Church Hall as previously advertised.

The date and time remain the same – Thursday, September 8, at 7pm.

The candidates in Garff are Andrew Barton, Daphne Caine, Nigel Dobson, Martyn Perkins and Andrew Smith.

A whole host of homemade karts took to the streets of the capital in the third annual Douglas Soapbox Race.

Despite the poor weather the race still went ahead on Saturday evening.

Participants started at Circular Road, hurtling down Upper Church Street and careering to the finish at Barrack Street.

The course also featured several jumps and chicanes for drivers to navigate.

Karts of all shapes, sizes and designs battled it out to finish the course the fastest.

Some of this year’s designs included a green wheelie bin, Batmobile, Volkswagen camper van and a skip.

The Microgaming Soapbox Race was in aid Hyperbaric Isle of Man, a charity which provides hyperbaric oxygen therapy via pressurised chambers for patients from the Isle of Man.

Last year the event raised £4,000 for the island charity, which is based on Peel Road.

To view and order more pictures taken by our photographers visit www.iomtoday.co.im/buyaphoto

There will be more photos in the Manx Independent on Thursday

The Post Office hosted an evening for customers and competition winners plus their families to a screening of Aardman classics ‘A Grand Day Out’ and ‘A Close Shave’ at the Broadway Cinema, Villa Marina on Thursday.

The competition, at the Royal Manx Show, received hundreds of entries and 10 competition winners were selected after answering the question ‘what is Wallace’s favorite cheese’ correctly, with the answer being Wensleydale.

Also in attendance was Shaun the Sheep, a five-foot model who continued raising funds for the Wallace and Gromit Children’s Charity. Guests were able to stick a stamp on Shaun after making a donation to the charity which funds children’s hospices across the UK, including Rebecca House.

Just 22 per cent of evening flights on EasyJet’s Gatwick to Ronaldsway route during the summer were on time, figures released by TravelWatch reveal.

The passenger watchdog is calling for the government to publish monthly punctuality figures for each for the airlines using Isle of Man Airport.

But TravelWatch has collated figures for punctuality from publicly available websites including FlightStats.com.

They show that over a two-month period between mid-June and mid-August, 80 per cent of Flybe’s evening flights on the Liverpool route were on time, with the average delay being 21 minutes.

But only 22 per cent of EasyJet’s evening Gatwick flights were on time, with the average delay being 45 minutes.

Flybe’s Manchester route had 56 per cent punctuality on evening flights, with an average delay of 25 minutes and BA’s London City services scored a punctuality rate of 41 per cent for evening services, with the average delay being 31 minutes.

There has been widespread concern at a spate of overnight delays and cancellations over the summer, particularly on the Gatwick route.

Chief Minister Allan Bell met officials from the budget airline last month to discuss those concerns.

TravelWatch spokesman Terry Liddiard said the punctuality figures ‘demonstrate that the complaints from passengers about delays on the Gatwick evening services were entirely justified’.

EasyJet told the Chief Minister that in relation to its London Gatwick to the Isle of Man route, this had been the worst summer for punctuality – but the majority of problems had been outside their control, such as the congestion of the London airspace, bird and lightning strikes, and industrial action in European air traffic control.

The airline has said that of the 199 flights scheduled to depart or arrive at the Isle of Man between June 1 and August 5, six flights were cancelled and five were delayed overnight as a result of either Air Traffic Control restrictions or adverse weather.

It said the airline industry has seen unprecedented levels of disruption as a result of these external factors and it apologised for the inconvenience this caused to passengers.

Latest figures from Ronaldsway show passengers numbers have fallen over three consecutive months.

A total of 68,195 passengers passed through the airport in July, a decrease of 3,210, or 4.5 per cent.

The drop is again blamed mainly on the withdrawal of Flybe’s Stansted route but the reduction by easyJet in its Gatwick capacity during the peak period has also hit figures.

But the airport said BA putting on more flights on its London City route in response to Stansted’s withdrawal had ‘helped considerably’ and the reduction in overall passengers was ‘again less than the eight per cent drop predicted’.

The figures show that passenger traffic was up on all the North West routes, with Flybe’s Manchester service increasing by 8.3 per cent, the Liverpool route up 4.5 per cent and 3 per cent with easyJet and Flybe respectively, and Citywing’s Blackpool route showing promise with an increase of 23 per cent.