Drunk driver who hid in playground after crashing into Scottish Parliament's anti-terror bollards is jailed

A 26-year-old drunk driver who was discovered by police hiding in a school playground after crashing into bollards outside the Scottish Parliament has been jailed.

Anthony Oldham was over the limit and banned from the road when he crashed his Vauxhall Vectra into anti-terrorism bollards outside the capital’s Holyrood building in June.

Oldham, 26, ran off following the early morning incident and police officers later found him hiding in the playground of nearby primary school.

Oldham appeared by video link from HMP Edinburgh at the city’s sheriff court last month and pleaded guilty to charges including dangerous driving, assault, driving while disqualified and being over the drink drive limit.

Anthony Oldham appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court

At the time Sheriff Donald Corke said “one could have expected him to be shot” by armed officers by crashing his car outside the parliament.

Oldham was in the dock in person at the city court yesterday where Sheriff Corke jailed him for 12 months and banned him from driving for three years.

He will also have to sit an extended test before he is allowed back on the road.

Previously, the court heard Oldham lost control of the two-litre Vectra and ploughed into the security bollards at around 5.10am on June 14.

Anthony Oldham

Passing taxi driver David Murray went to Oldham’s aid but the drunk thug turned on the cabbie by punching him to the side of the head before fleeing the scene.

Police found him in the grounds of the Royal Mile Primary School and after being taken to the nearby St Leonard’s station he was found to have 58mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is just 22mg.

Oldham pleaded guilty to dangerous driving by travelling at excessive speeds and driving into bollards at the parliament and to being over the drink drive limit at Abbeyhill, Edinburgh, on June 14 this year.

He also admitted assaulting David Murray by punching him to the head and to driving a vehicle while disqualified at various streets in Edinburgh, on the same date.

Just ten days before the smash, footage emerged online of Oldham brawling with notorious hardman Robert Kelbie in an Edinburgh scrapyard.

Oldham’s bare-knuckle fight was filmed and posted online earlier this year.

Kelbie works for world heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury as a ‘director of talent’ with sports firm MTK Global.