Cheshire West councillor admits being four times drink-drive limit

Cllr Matthew Bryan, 37, pleaded guilty to drink-driving when he appeared at Chester Magistrates Court on Tuesday, February 27.

The sentencing was adjourned for a pre-sentence report to be obtained, with Cllr Bryan, of Tarvin Road, Chester, handed an interim driving ban.

Prosecuting, Lisa Maguire said it was on August 9, 2023 when officers were made aware of a car being driven by the defendant through Chester city centre, coming to a stop by the Grosvenor Hotel on Eastgate Street.

Cllr Bryan was noticed to "stumble" as he exited the vehicle, and when speaking with police it was reported his speech was slurred and his breath smelt of intoxicants.

A roadside breath test reading of 202 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, compared to the legal limit of 35, was said to be "extremely high", and the defendant was escorted to the Countess of Chester Hospital as a result.

While there, a blood sample reading was taken which gave a reading of 322 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, more than four times the legal limit of 80.

The court heard Cllr Bryan had one previous conviction for drink-driving in 2012.

Representing himself in court, Cllr Bryan said he had been dealing with a number of family issues over the previous six months, and said while he was not an alcoholic, he recognised it had become a problem and had sought support for it.

At the time of the incident he had driven a "very short journey" to help support rough sleepers as part of the outreach team.

He added: "We have got an epidemic of homeless people in Chester at the moment."

Cllr Bryan was handed unconditional bail and will appear at Chester Magistrates Court for sentencing on March 27.

Re-elected as a Labour councillor in May 2023 for the Upton ward, news broke by September that year he had become a non-aligned Independent, having also resigned from the council's Cabinet as the member for climate emergency, energy and green spaces.