Mannering Park: Gavin Dallas Ryan, 55, sentenced for high range drink driving after crashing into neighbour’s ute
A drink-driver threw his keys out the window when police arrived to find him bogged in a culvert after crashing into a neighbour’s ute. But what shocked officers was his reading back at the station.
Central Coast
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A lot of people like to have a drink when they arrive home on a Monday night after working an eight-hour shift before crashing on the couch.
But one Mannering Park man got it completely about face when he crashed into a ditch outside a neighbour’s house after drinking all day before leaving home about 7pm.
Gavin Dallas Ryan, 55, faced Wyong Local Court on Monday where he pleaded guilty to one count of high range drink-driving.
An agreed set of police facts states officers were called to Montrose St shortly after 7pm on Monday, August 5, following reports of a single vehicle crash.
When officers arrived they found Ryan had crashed his Nissan Navara into some rubbish bins outside his neighbour’s house a few doors down before driving into a culvert on the other side of the road and colliding with another neighbour’s Toyota HiLux work ute.
“Police arrived on scene a short time later and observed the accused trying to reverse his vehicle out of the culvert,” the facts state.
“The accused immediately threw the keys out the window.”
While speaking to Ryan, officers could detect the strong smell of intoxicating liquor and observed that his eyes were glazed and he was unable to concentrate on simple requests from police.
“He was sluggish and needed assistance to walk,” the facts added.
Ryan could not produce his licence and officers formed the opinion he was well affected by alcohol.
He failed a roadside breath test before being taken to Wyong Police Station where he admitted to consuming one bottle of Hidden Valley white wine.
He said his first drink was at 9am and his last at 5pm.
Ryan then returned a staggering blood alcohol reading of 0.271 — more than five times the legal limit — which the court heard would have taken far more than a single bottle of wine.
Ryan represented himself at court where Magistrate Alan Railton convicted him, disqualified him from driving for six months, put him on an interlock order for two years and a community correction order for 18 months.
He was also ordered to perform 100 hours of community service.