Stolen vehicle left hanging off bridge

A Nelson man was more than four times over the legal alcohol limit when he crashed a stolen vehicle, leaving it hanging precariously from a bridge.

Brodie Lloyd Subritzky Ryan, a 27-year-old commercial fisherman from Richmond, appeared in the Nelson District Court yesterday where he was sentenced on charges of unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, careless driving, excess breath-alcohol, and driving while disqualified.

About 9.15am on October 5, Ryan had been visiting the Farmlands store in Darfield near Christchurch, the court heard.

While walking through the parking area, Ryan came across a customer’s Toyota Landcruiser which had a trailer with a fertiliser spreader on the back.

Seeing the keys had been left in the vehicle, Ryan took the truck and drove off.

Forty minutes later police received a call that the same vehicle, still towing the trailer, had crashed about 50 kilometres away at Porter River Bridge on State Highway 73.

The vehicle was found hanging over the side of the bridge, with Ryan having fled the scene.

Ryan was followed by several members of the public who alerted police to his whereabouts.

At the Darfield police station, Ryan gave a breath-alcohol reading of 1183 micrograms per litre – more than four times the legal limit. In his explanation to police, Ryan initially stated he was not the driver, before claiming he had been hired to take the vehicle as part of an ‘‘insurance job’’.

Brodie Ryan drove a stolen vehicle more than 50km before crashing, while more than four times over the legal alcohol limit.

Ryan had previous drinkdriving and driving while disqualified convictions, and had been disqualified from driving for a year beginning in May 2019.

Lawyer Wayne Jones said Ryan accepted it was ‘‘inevitable’’ he would go to prison, and had no desire to serve home detention as it would affect his commercial fishing operations.

Ryan had pleaded guilty to all charges at an earlier court appearance.

However, Judge David Ruth said he was loath to put Ryan in prison, describing his ongoing offending as intermittent rather than continuous.

‘‘That is a significant factor. ‘‘Your offending is moderately serious, there is no way to get around that, but I think the community is better served if you can pay your way and get on with your life.’’

Judge Ruth fined Ryan $1500 plus court costs and ordered him to pay $500 in reparations for the damage done to the vehicle. He was also disqualified from driving for an additional 18 months, to begin at the conclusion of his current disqualification in May 2020.