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British sprinter Bianca Williams has been banned from driving despite telling a court it would jeopardise her chances of going to the 2024 Olympics.
Williams, 29, failed to tell police who was driving a Tesla Model 3 when an alleged offence took place.
The athlete claimed a ban would make it difficult for her to get to training.
But magistrates at Lavender Hill rejected her claim that she could not use public transport and suspended her from driving for six months.
Williams failed on three occasions to reply to letters from the police between April and June 2023.
In October, two Metropolitan Police officers were sacked over a stop and search of Williams and her partner, the Portuguese sprinter Ricardo Dos Santos, 28, in 2020.
The couple are black and claimed they were racially profiled.
A police misconduct hearing was told officers followed Mr Dos Santos in their police carrier because of the "appalling" and "suspicious" nature of his driving and were doing their duty when they conducted the stop and search.
But the panel found two officers had lied about smelling cannabis.
'Totally my fault'
Having pleaded guilty to three charges of failing to tell police the identity of a driver, Williams told the court she was not driving the Tesla at the time of the alleged offences.
Representing herself, Williams said she was currently working as a tennis coach in the evenings and as a full-time athlete during the day.
The sprinter, who lives in the Maida Vale area of west London with her partner, said it was "massively inconvenient" to get to the central London athletics track where she trains using public transport and "really hard" to get to her tennis coaching sessions in north London without a car.
She told the court she drops off her three-year-old child at nursery before training every morning, and said losing her licence would "make my dream of going to the Olympics next year impossible".
"I understand this is totally my fault, I shouldn't have relied on somebody else to fill out the form," she said.
"It's hard to get from nursery to training. My income would drop because I wouldn't be able to do any coaching sessions.
"It would be horrible to lose my licence. I would potentially have no work and no income."
Williams was disqualified from driving for six months and ordered to pay a fine of £276, a surcharge of £110 and £85 costs. Another 18 points were added to her licence, bringing her total to 29.
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a fantastic role model for kids.
Williams, 29, failed to tell police who was driving a Tesla Model 3 when an alleged offence took place.
The athlete claimed a ban would make it difficult for her to get to training.
But magistrates at Lavender Hill rejected her claim that she could not use public transport and suspended her from driving for six months.
Williams failed on three occasions to reply to letters from the police between April and June 2023.
In October, two Metropolitan Police officers were sacked over a stop and search of Williams and her partner, the Portuguese sprinter Ricardo Dos Santos, 28, in 2020.
The couple are black and claimed they were racially profiled.
A police misconduct hearing was told officers followed Mr Dos Santos in their police carrier because of the "appalling" and "suspicious" nature of his driving and were doing their duty when they conducted the stop and search.
But the panel found two officers had lied about smelling cannabis.
'Totally my fault'
Having pleaded guilty to three charges of failing to tell police the identity of a driver, Williams told the court she was not driving the Tesla at the time of the alleged offences.
Representing herself, Williams said she was currently working as a tennis coach in the evenings and as a full-time athlete during the day.
The sprinter, who lives in the Maida Vale area of west London with her partner, said it was "massively inconvenient" to get to the central London athletics track where she trains using public transport and "really hard" to get to her tennis coaching sessions in north London without a car.
She told the court she drops off her three-year-old child at nursery before training every morning, and said losing her licence would "make my dream of going to the Olympics next year impossible".
"I understand this is totally my fault, I shouldn't have relied on somebody else to fill out the form," she said.
"It's hard to get from nursery to training. My income would drop because I wouldn't be able to do any coaching sessions.
"It would be horrible to lose my licence. I would potentially have no work and no income."
Williams was disqualified from driving for six months and ordered to pay a fine of £276, a surcharge of £110 and £85 costs. Another 18 points were added to her licence, bringing her total to 29.
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a fantastic role model for kids.
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The sprinter, who lives in the Maida Vale area of west London with her partner, said it was "massively inconvenient" to get to the central London athletics track where she trains using public transport and "really hard" to get to her tennis coaching sessions in north London without a car.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- it's a hard life love. |
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Just 6 months for 29 points? also surely sh'es uninsureable now.
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As someone who works with/along side people of Caribbean descent, I can tell you they all think they are victims. Will probably come out and say the judge is racist in the next few days and gloss over the fact she was in the wrong.
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In October, two Metropolitan Police officers were sacked over a stop and search of Williams and her partner, the Portuguese sprinter Ricardo Dos Santos, 28, in 2020.
The couple are black and claimed they were racially profiled. A police misconduct hearing was told officers followed Mr Dos Santos in their police carrier because of the "appalling" and "suspicious" nature of his driving and were doing their duty when they conducted the stop and search. But the panel found two officers had lied about smelling cannabis. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- a penny for the thoughts of the two sacked cops this morning. |
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Tough life for an athlete , having to walk to the tube. She could walk /jog to the track as a warm up quicker than she could drive there.
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Bianca Williams should just concentrate on Reality TV from now on...
coz i guarantee that is where her career will be heading in the very near future. |
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She is a good athlete but is only likely to make the Olympics as a relay runner. She will just have to use taxis.
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Isn’t the tube a far quicker way to get round London anyway?
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Depends where you are going.
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She will just have to use taxis.
--------------------------------- fair point sageform... hopefully DCMS gives her funds from the public purse to pursue her career coz we can't have a national treasure athlete having to forego the Olympics coz she has picked up a driving ban. |
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29 points
 what does it go up to ? |
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Maybe the Magistrate didn't appreciate being asked "Is it cos I is Black?"
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'Totally my fault'
hoping the problem vanishes. |
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In October, two Metropolitan Police officers were sacked over a stop and search of Williams and her partner, the Portuguese sprinter Ricardo Dos Santos, 28, in 2020.
The couple are black and claimed they were racially profiled. A police misconduct hearing was told officers followed Mr Dos Santos in their police carrier because of the "appalling" and "suspicious" nature of his driving and were doing their duty when they conducted the stop and search. But the panel found two officers had lied about smelling cannabis. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- strange how the BBC reported this thoroughly a few months ago... not heard a peep from them regarding Bianca's latest issue... oh well. |
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Causing death through careless driving when unfit through drink gets you 11 points on your licence
so does aggravated taking of a vehicle she's got twenty fookin nine |
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shes over what you'd be on for aggravated taking of a vehicle, then killing someone with it whilst drunk.
and she's still telling them she needs the motor to get to work ....  |
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"Can't do the sentence, don't do the crime". This has always been the message to any offender. Others have coped; stop whining and just deal with it, Ms Williams. You're no national treasure!
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and if she ends up at the Olympics and gets a medal no doubt the UK media will be sucking up to her and telling us what an absolutely wonderful human being she is and a great role model for young kids out there.
Suck Up City in the media with all sports these days... hideous. |
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Maybe the 18 added was for obstructing the course of justice, and lying - 3x; 6 points each.
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love to see her next insurance quote
any points on your licence bianca ?? yeah ... just the 29  |
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She can run 100m in 10 secs. In a 20 mph zone thats 3 pts every time, they soon add up.
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After the driving ban, all points on your licence will be wiped clean.
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obv will have to declare last 5yrs convictions so still have a premium added.
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In October, two Metropolitan Police officers were sacked...
...the panel found two officers had lied about smelling cannabis. What is the problem? You think the lying PCs shouldn't have been sacked? |
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how do you go about proving someone lied about smelling something ??
i thought i smelt it, no you didn't, yes i did, no you didn't, yes i did .... |
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correct hulk.
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Looks like at least one person involved is a proven liar.
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hulk23 • December 5, 2023 2:09 PM GMT
how do you go about proving someone lied about smelling something ?? i thought i smelt it, no you didn't, yes i did, no you didn't, yes i did .... Well the police disciplinary panel didn't have a problem. |
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must've employed a mind-reader. not sure how else you can prove someone wasn't thinking something they said they were thinking.
that's impressive  |
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Won't be driving the horse boxes for a while then.
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HappyHibby -- "strange how the BBC reported this thoroughly a few months ago...
"not heard a peep from them regarding Bianca's latest issue... "oh well." Here is the link to the BBC story you missed yesterday. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-67613292 |
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It's a thinly veiled racist thread, penzance, so you should know these are acceptable on horse racing forum.
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Points still there for insurance purposes.
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Think it’s more of a ‘victim proved to be deceitful ’ thread.
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dustybin • December 5, 2023 2:44 PM GMT
Think it’s more of a ‘victim proved to be deceitful ’ thread. Cider • December 5, 2023 2:11 PM GMT Looks like at least one person involved is a proven liar. Where does it say she lied? |
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Ramruma...
the original story was all over the 1 and 6 o'clock news... not heard a peep about it on either of these two programmes... so far. |
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She had the opportunity to say who was driving.
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dave1357
It's a thinly veiled racist thread ---------------------------------- really ? what's racist about it dave ? |