Ayrshire councillor caught drink driving

Jan 15 2010 by Lisa Boyle, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

A DRUNK councillor smashed up his car and fled the scene.

Ryan Oldfather was so boozed up when police caught up with him that he wouldn’t give a breath test.

The 26-year-old smacked into a lamppost so hard that police found it 100 metres down the road.

Oldfather had been out drinking in Troon with an old RAF pal who was just back from active service in Afghanistan when he decided to get behind the wheel.

But when he was driving along the town’s Central Avenue at 3am on December 13, Oldfather crashed into a traffic island and broke off the lamppost.

The sound of the crash was so loud that it woke neighbours.

One lady looked out of her bedroom window to see Oldfather – a serving member of North Ayrshire Council – inspecting the extensive damage to his car before walking off, leaving the road blocked to other traffic.

Oldfather headed back to his friend’s house where he got a taxi to his Irvine home.

But by the time he got there police were waiting.

Despite having established that the smashed up motor belonged to Oldfather, he bizarrely gave various stories to police about where his car was.

Police say Kilwinning councillor Oldfather was extremely drunk, his speech was slurred, he was unsteady on his feet, his eyes were bloodshot and he smelled strongly of alcohol.

When they took him to Kilmarnock police office, Oldfather agreed to give a breath sample. But then he either failed to blow into the machine or he sucked out of it.

Initially he claimed he had no underlying health problems.

But Oldfather – who pays £300 dig money of his £1000 a month salary to his mum and dad – later claimed his asthma had prevented him giving a sample.

At Ayr Sheriff Court this week, Oldfather pleaded guilty to careless driving, failing to report an accident and failing to give a breath sample.

Defence lawyer Sandy Currie told Sheriff Jack McGowan: “His GP has confirmed that he has suffered from asthma in the past. But given the admitted level of alcohol he’d taken it would be difficult to blame this on anything other than that.”

Banning Oldfather, of Willow Gardens, from driving for two and a half years and fining him £1100, Sheriff McGowan told him: “You were obviously extremely drunk. My main consideration is protection of the public.

“You require to be off the road for some time because of your behaviour.”

Oldfather will pay £100 a month towards his fine.