Former Political Candidate Pleads Guilty To DUI
Gaylynne Cannonier, 48, appeared in Magistrates Court this morning [June 13] where she pleaded guilty to driving whilst impaired.
The Court heard that in April 2013 she was stopped after being seen swerving while driving, and admitted to Police that she had consumed “two or three glasses of wine.”
Ms Cannonier served as a One Bermuda Alliance candidate in the 2012 General Election. She contested C#3 St Davids, a seat won by the PLP’s Lovitta Foggo.
Defending her, lawyer Saul Dismont argued that she lived in St David’s and that the nature of her work required her to move around with correspondence and files that she carried in her car.
He told Senior Magistrate Archie Warner that Ms Cannonier, who is the Premier’s sister, was about to start work with a major project and that if she was disqualified from driving and forced to use buses and taxis, it would negatively impact her work.
The Senior Magistrate said that the recent uncovering of the fact that Magistrates were not obligated to automatically disqualify all persons convicted of driving whilst impaired, meant that Magistrates could exercise discretion.
Ms Cannonier was fined $1,500 but was not disqualified from driving.
Read More About
Category: All, Court Reports, Crime, News
oh this will start the blogs going!!! I can hear it now – political influence etc. etc.
Come on people it’s the Premier’s baby sister, you know very well she wasn’t going to have her wheels lifted. Now for the rest of you bottom feeders continue to catch the bus.
com’on people, stop being petty and stupid. there is a fundamental flaw in the law and judges are exercising their superiority by meting out their sentencing accordingly. Aint got nothin’ to do with the dui defendants’ genetic connections. get a grip.
this is what you call friends and family dui is dui she has to do her time of the road like the rest of us same sh===t another day
So were these friends and family connections as well:
http://bernews.com/2013/04/drunk-drivers-fined-no-licence-suspension/
No answer to this I notice. Don’t confuse people by bringing up facts.
EFFIN Cow Crap…
I know this is wrong but I hope a drunk driver runs these judges that hand out these slap on the wrist fines right the hell over…
That law needs to be changed.
Everyone and anyone that is caught driving while intoxicated needs mandatory time off the road. Point blank.
I wish the Magistrates would use their common sense and powers to ensure that it happens. Just because a badly written law allows it doesn’t mean that is the correct action.
I agree. I am embarrassed to say that I did the same on many occasions and I was just lucky not to get caught. I’m not here to judge. I think everyone should do time off the road – period.
this is unreal
Its not unreal, its Bermuda. Who you know.
Not exactly as there have been several recent cases of drunk drivers getting off lightly due to the way the law is written.
And none of them were connected politically.
So stop with the fabrications and false insinuations.
The Magistrates just need to use their common sense instead of trying to prove a point to the law makers.
The woman couldn’t even stand let alone walk the yellow line. Did someone from the Cannonier family foster you as a child. You keep defending the dumb one who may be in charge and now the drunk sister?
Just like you and others defended the one and his sexual deviant and armed robber sons?
Now, are you going to address the point that this isn’t a precedent that has been set and that several others have also experienced the leniency of certain Magistrates?
Or does the truth not fit in your ignorant narrative?
Well said old chap!
I voted for OBA not some fools that want to act like spoil brats who just received a big pay check. Between the Premier and his sister their starting to make the party look like a remake off the plp. If he doesn’t know how to run the Country and she can’t handle her drinking without going Court, do the right thing and get out.
Didn’t realise that she was in anywhere to get out of? Pretty sure she lost to Ms. Foggo. How is a private citizen
s mistake making the OBA look like the PLP?
And how is the Premiere acting like a spolit brat?
I don’t know about the comparison, but I do know that my damn tax dollar is paying the Premier’s drunk a*s sister to sit on boards . . .not board . . .boards!!!!
Whether you like it or not, she ran in the last election which made her a public figure . . .not that I care, but what I do care about is the fact that she could have killed someone, a child that night and then we have to hear the BS about the test be inconclusive when the police say her speech was slurred, she couldn’t stand or walk straight.
The whole time before coming into power we heard nepotism this; friends and family that . . .the OBA swore straight up and down things were going to be different . . . it looks like more of the same old BS to me!!!!!!!
That is a bit uncalled for. Do you know Gaylynne? She is not a drunk. She made a mistake. Havent you or anyone in your family ever mande a mistake?? Or are you one of the perfect people from God’s limited edition? Settle down and have a dark-n-stormy (but dont drive of course).
Craig’s sister gets to keep her license only because she is a member of the OBA and she is the brother to Craig? This is unfairness not just at the court level but this has gone public and the whole island knows. This is terrible and very unfair to those who are in far worse circumstances who have had their license suspended because of a DUI.
Several people in the last few months have not been disqualified because of DUIs due to a badly written law passed last year or 2011.
And yet low and behold not all people that were let off are related to the Premier. So your conspiracy theory is seriously flawed.
A prospective PLP MP was caught with weed just before the election and his charges were droppd completely. While others have been charged and placed on the dreaded stop list.
Our courts are independent of politics and thus neither got off due to their policitial affiliations.
But rather due to the Magistrates ever fluctuating choices regarding the severity of the punishment.
Stuff like this should be a standard sentence. One which includes immediate disqualification.
Just fix the law so the Magistrates do not have this discretion anymore.
Her mistake could have caused the life of someone . . .she wasn’t intelligent enough to get in a taxi . . .or better yet call her damn brother . . .he could have picked her up in GP1!!!!!!!!
Ooops . . .my mistake . . .he could have had my tax dollars pay his driver to go and get her.
How Could she MAKE A MISTAKE in Drinking YOU A@S
What nonsense–these practices happen in every corner of the world.
This is appalling
This is CRAZY!!! This is right in your face. She is the Premiers sister so what she was driving under the influence and she deserves to be taken off the road … Some S H one T !!!!!
She still had to go to court and take the punishment. If there were any favours this would have never made it to the court!
That’s where the courts are too inconsistent. Some people lose their jobs because they get taken off the road. She’s a lucky lady. I gues the lawyer was worth it!
Not in the last 2 months. Several people have got fines but no ban. Blame the people who passed the law. The PLP.
I’m sorry, but the story is where??? Nothing unusual about people being allowed to drive for work while disqualified.
In this case, what is her previous record? Is there any? Who has not driven while legally drunk in Bermuda? For once try to be honest with yourselves.
STFU, she was caught you idiot. I hope when you are caught nexttime the judge feels the same way ass!
Do you know how many people have gone off the road for the same offense??? She only got off because she is Craig’ sister. That’s a bunch of BS and its unfair to everyone who has had their license suspended.
Many people got the same treatment as her. The PLP changed the law about DUI. They say it was a “mistake”. So now, it is not mandatory to be banned for a DUI. Lots of people have got off with a fine.
agree
http://bernews.com/2013/04/drunk-drivers-fined-no-licence-suspension/
Didn’t notice you commenting when this happened.
If I were to lose my license it would “negatively impact my work” as well. Damn, I’d actually have to get up a little earlier and catch the bus, then I’d even have to walk. How dreadful. I might even miss the bus and get to work late. How horrible.
Laws need to be changed people. Mandatory year off the road no matter who you are! Drunks in cars are like giving a loaded gun to a baby. Never know if the trigger will be pulled and a person will be killed!
Tough one. The law should be changed to make it automatic loss of license if found guilty. Leaving it to discretion leaves plenty of room for debate and that is not good when politics are involved.
I think politicians should be held to a higher stricter standard for they are setting the bar for the rest of us. Now she isn’t a politician for she didn’t win. Her brother is Premier, but do I want to suffer for something my brother is doing? That’s not fair. Do we think she benefited from her brothers position? That would be unfair too. You have to take that up with the judge.
I’d have driven her around anytime!
Perv
ya only jealous because I got de balls to admit it and you aint!
This stinks.
I agree!
I’m surprised this case wasn’t swept under the carpet…a fine with no disqualification is the next best thing.
I wonder if the senior customs officer who recently hit a parked car in Flatts, while allegedly riding under the influence,will be put before a magistrate, or will his job also be taken into consideration.
because she is the premier’s sister this has nothing to do with him – she made the decision to drink whether one or three she made it – Gaylynne is a grown woman for goodness sake and will have a tough time living this down unlike a few others I know, talk about sweep under the carpet, thrown in back of the filing cabinet. Watch the decisions we all make should be the Islands cry. We all know the decisions we make can either make or break us and I trust she doesn’t do it again and that goes for all drinking and driving – it is against the law and I repeat – it is against the law.
This is the reason our Island of paradise is going the way it is. To many excuses. She knew she was drinking and I know she must have known she had enough. So why could she set an exmple and either hitch a ride or call a cab or even her Brothe to pick her up. This does not set a good example for the kids that read these blogs. The examples start from the top, and if you can set them yet alone take the responsbilities for your actions then how in the world the youth of today are suppose to. We Bermudians need to start standing up for what is right as long as this stuff happens on a regular we are accepting this bulls**t.
We should have marched right around the court house or down the hill and shouted out who the cap fits let them wear it, and chase those crazy ballheads out of town.
Did she get off lightly? yes
Am I SMDH because she got off lightly? yes
Has it happened before with people that depend on their license for a living? yes
Will she do it again? unlikely
Have others been treated similarly? Anyone every hear of Makai Dickerson?
So why don’t all you haters on both sides STFU and live you life cuz ya’ll done a pack every one of you….just lucky u didn’t get caught
Can I get an AMEN?!
@ swinger voter u STFU or ull be expose dumb fool throwin stones @ glass house
de system is f()K ok
ULL ALL WAITIN FOR ANON OPS SERIOUSLY
2 much ♫ ♫ ♫ bein played behind ………….
There are several DUIs who got off without bans. The law was changed by the PLP and there are no longer mandatory bans for DUI. The government is changing this. But in the meantime several people have got off just with a fine.
The real problem here is the magistrate and the law. Just because the law does not actually require automatic disqualidifacion does not mean that the magistrate should not or could not disqualify her. There are no special circumstances mentioned in the story and the fact that it would be an inconvienence is exactly what it is susposed to be. When there is only a monetary fine then what happens to a person who is unable to afford a lawyer or the fine. Justice must not only be done it must be seen to be done so it is time to fix the law to make it mandatory (the original intent) except in narrowly defined special circumstances!
It is time to fix the law. Which the government has said it will do as soon as parliament convenes.
“If she was disqualified from driving and forced to use buses and taxis, it would negatively impact her work.”
Ahhh, yea that normally is part of the punishment lady! No more looking cute in your car and riding the bus with the commoners is what it is. SMDH what a shame!
Funny how that Daily Rag sticks the fact that she’s the Premiers sister in the last sentence. If it were any other MP from the other side, I bet that sentence would have been the headline.. They are so obviously bias!
Are You Serious I agree with you 100% but that’s all our fault. Letting in this Party when we knew dam well they aren’t for us. I have my US/Uk
status so when the OBA sends that shock wave surprise to us. Then I can get the hell up out of Bermuda & run & never look back. I won’t be able to effort Bermuda in 2yrs time anyway. The rich is getting richer & the poor is getting poorer. Its no middle class making it anymore. The all sitting back saying PlP ran the show its our turn OBA all day.
WTF is this Bull S**t. I thought drinking is automatic DQ. Well let me start drinking and driving again the senior Magistrate says it’s ok to drink and drive.
i agree whats up with this crap
lets all drink and drive we only get a fine LMAO
It isn’t automatic DQ. The PLP changed it.
If anything she should of been used as an example to show the serious nature of drunk driving. Just earlier this week you had a gentleman given a year off the road for “pushing” his bike across the street onto his property coming from an establishment he had been drinking at across from his property. If anything HE should of been allowed to keep his licence for at least trying to do the right thing by not riding the bike while under the influence.
that was one big mistake for Ms. Cannonier
I hope she doesn’t have any plans to travel to Canada
Canada bans foreign nationals with a conviction for a DUI offence from entering the country no matter how minor it was
that’s punishment enough for an urbane person like Ms. Cannonier who probably likes to travel
if the judge wanted to do her a solid he could have dismissed the matter unconditionally so she wouldn’t have the conviction
So if you have a DUI you can’t even visit Canada or does that just apply to residency?
That’s b/s…no such law!
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/inadmissibility/index.asp
You still can get in as a visitor, but you have to pay a processing fee of $200 to get a special permit.
my apologies
you can get in as a temporary visitor but I think were you to apply for permanent residency or a work permit the conviction may disqualify your application
Can’t say that I blame them…they have enough of their own
I am completely disgusted when I went off the road for a year, paid a 1000 dollars and now the insurance companies consider me a risk. This island is only for those in that crap club. I am a hard working individual who didn’t blow in the breathalyizer (no proof of intoxication) and I get kicked my Bermy you know what!!!!
Well blame the legislators who changed the law. Several people have got off with fines. Bans used to be mandatory, but they currently aren’t because the law was changed.
By the way, refusing to blow in the breathalyser doesn’t mean you weren’t intoxicated. Refusal to blow is pretty much an admission of guilt.
I agree 100% re the breathalyser comment…
Im goin out and get full pissed, drive police station and see what develops !!!!
Archie warner should be ashamed of himself……i guess if you are half way good looking you can get by !!
re Samantha Jones, there should be one rule for everyone I agree.
But, if you knew that you were “safe” you would have blown into the breathalyser – so you must have been drinking and were unsure if you were over the limit – so you are a risk according to the insurance companies. Or at least more of a risk than those people who don’t have a conviction for DUI or failing to give a sample…
Easy solution people, don’t drink and drive – you may even save you own life one day. And btw, I am perfectly happy to drink alongside you, just please, don’t drive. i’ve seen the heartbreaking results of such decisions and it only takes a second for your reactions to be a little ‘off’ and the consequences can last a lifetime.
So if the magistrates are not obligated to disqualify drivers then everybody that has been dis-qualified this year should be re-instated.
If the PLP were in power,and Mark Bean’s sister got caught drunk driving,what do you think would have happened?
You guessed it,she would not have gone to court!
Your speculating on fictional events based on no given facts…
My gripe is her defense of keeping her license for a job she doesn’t have yet! She doesn’t need her license to support her livelihood like a taxi or truck driver. I guess commuting with the people whom she canvassed with wouldn’t do her fairly.
This really sets a bad standard and I hope David Minors and his team articulate how adversely this message affects CADA and road safety as a whole.
There have been many before her who have pleaded with the judge with the same defense, to date it hasn’t really been an accepted defense for many.
First of all, we all have skeletons in our closets, some known and some unknown. If the keys were turned on our closet doors a lot of us would run and hide under the rocks. Secondly, the Premier is not responsible for his sisters actions. With the attitudes in some of the comments above, why not canvass to have some of these bars closed down as there are far too many on this small island. We all hope to “get off lightly or get off altogether” when standing before any judge for things we know we are guilty as sin for. Before we point our fingers at anybody we need to take a look at the man in the mirror and ask him/her if they are without mistakes. I’m far from being perfect, I make my mistakes too, I’m guilty of sin! If we want to live in harmony in this island we need to brush the chips off of our shoulders and help those who fall by the way side, as I’m sure we have all fallen at some point in our lives and there was at least one person who helped us up. If we gossiped more about the love of Christ and how His mercy and grace has saved us, this world, this island, would be a better place to live in and we wouldn’t have to pack our bags and leave our beautiful country. For the record I couldn’t care less if Ms Cannonier was OBA, PLP, UBP or Independent, I would have the same sentiments because we ALL make mistakes and hers was driving after consuming alcohol. In spite of Ms Cannonier’s mistake she has a good reputation, a great character and is very compassionate and caring. If we all want a better Bermuda we need to make a change, and the change should come from within first! In closing, for some of us who have committed heinous crimes and have gotten away with it (and laughed at it too I’m sure), remember there’s a Greater Judge that we will have to stand in front of one day very soon and give an account for all deeds done. Please, let’s help to lift up a sister or a brother who have fallen and not put our feet on their heads and grind them in the dirt or six feet under!
Problem about your whole skeleton in closet statement is this isn’t in the closet but out in the open media, already gone past the local law enforcement also before the local court system. No one here is saying Gaylynne Cannonier’s actions mentioned in the article is the responsibility of her brother the premier & by the outcome of the case it looks like their not the responsibility of Gaylynne Cannonier either with such an easy punishment.
The fact that we are to believe that her reduced punishment is due to a potential future job & not even one that she already has secured is laughable. It’s also very strange that there is no mention if she took or refused to take a breathalyzer test & if she did what where the test results. Those facts are usually always listed for such cases, why not on this one?
I still believe since since the judgment on this case was based on a future potential job it should of also been based on her past potential job (which I am sure she’ll be applying for again in the future) as a public official. As such she should be sentenced accordingly to set an example of open transparency.
Shut the F up! Justice is suppose to be for all men, no some… So she made a F’in mistake, now she pays the consequence like the rest of them being charged for the same offence. With her position, she should be setting an example for others to follow…
The Law has nothing to do with personal decisions and whether we make mistakes or not. This is why law in Bermuda is so pointless because people focus on emotions rather than facts.
Fact is she was drunk and broke a law so she SHOULD have been taken off the road if the law states that consequence.
Bones and skeletons have nothing to do with law. Once a law is passed you either obey or disobey or better luck next time in her case she got off! Shout out to her lawyer! His job is to provide reasonable doubt or reasoning and that’s why she got off. A good lawyer.
Move on and magistrates treat law without emotion that’s all I have to say.
So annoyed I can’t even type without errors. I Feel bad for The average person that’s not able to get the same break, this person is told. take the bus , taxi whatever maybe you will think twice before your drive drunk again. Too bad for their job , family , pay the price. Where are their breaks ? Maybe Gaylynne could offer to drive them late at night when they are out, as she is still on the road. Please post your number Gaylynne help the ones that are not as lucky as you. Become that spokeswomen for mothers against drunk drivers. She could become Miss Designated Driver for Bda and be in the May 24 th parade with all the other princess’s next year sitting in a smashed up car being towed by a tow truck. This is the level the law has put her on. ABOVE THE LAW.
You truly have no idea what you’re talking about.
Bernews bears some responsibility for this. The background to the events here relates to the error in the law, passed by the previous government, that has led to several people getting the same treatment as Ms Cannonier. The article sas nothing about that, which is part of the reason why some people have said this is some kind of favouritism.
Bernews knew the context and should have reported it.
As a community we can never move forward if we constantly dredge up the past……EVERYTIME there is an issue we hear: well this person did this, this person did that and yada yada. …this article is about Ms. Cannonier and HER error in judgment and
the sentence metted out to her by the judge…why are we bringing up names from the past? We can’t get back the past….
This is the judges (Archie) way of sending the island into a tailspin it is a form of sadistic entertainment as he is well aware of the unrest and devisiveness this decision would cause.
She was driving under the influence of a drug in a dangerous manner.