A farm labourer has admitted causing the death of one of Scotland’s top chefs in a horrific road accident.
Ryan Young died when 43-year-old Michael Bloice pulled out in front of his motorcycle on the A9 on April 24 last year.
The married 38-year-old was thrown from his motorcycle as he made his way to work at Perth’s Opus One restaurant, which he’d helped to establish as one of Scotland’s leading eateries.
He had made the shortlist for the Rising Chef of the Year title at the Scottish Hotel Awards, scheduled to take place just 36 hours after he died.
The man whose error of judgment caused his death was due to have appeared at Perth Sheriff Court for trial before a sheriff and jury but instead pleaded guilty to a charge of causing death by careless driving, to the relief of Mr Young’s family.
Speaking outside the court his mother, Eilish Ritchie, told The Courier, “It is a huge relief that he (Bloice) has pled guilty and spared the family from going through a trial.
“His wife Lesley and the rest of the family are still trying to come to terms with what happened.”
Mrs Ritchie described her son as “a responsible driver” and said he had loved motorcycles, buying his first 125cc model at the age of 18.’Going places’She said, “Ryan was, as many people know, a very talented chef and he had already won a number of awards.
“He just picked up cooking himself and it was always what he wanted to do.”
“He was really going places.”
The court heard the accident had occurred in poor weather as both men made their way to work.
Crash investigators who attempted to recreate the circumstances of the accident concluded that had Bloice looked to his right before pulling on to the A9, he would have had an unrestricted view of 350 metres of road.
However, depute fiscal Stuart Richardson told the court, “Mr Bloice, for whatever reason, did not observe Mr Young approaching from his right-hand side and pulled out in front of him.
“At that stage there was no possibility of either party avoiding the collision and Mr Young was thrown from his motorcycle, sustaining severe injuries.
Witnesses who saw Mr Young prior to the accident agreed he had likely been travelling in excess of the 60mph speed limit.
However, the only evidence available to accident investigators was that he was travelling in the region of 45-50mph at the time of his collision with Bloice’s silver Isuzu 4×4 pick-up.’Tremendous talent’Mr Richardson confirmed that the lights on Mr Young’s motorcycle had been illuminated at the time of the accident and that neither had consumed alcohol.
Bloice, of Marshall Place, Luncarty, admitted causing the death of Mr Young by driving without due care or attention on the A9.
Sheriff Robert McCreadie extended his condolences to Mr Young’s family on behalf of the court.
He deferred sentence on Bloice until Monday, September 5, to enable the court to obtain a social work report and to consider statements detailing the impact Mr Young’s death has had upon his family.
The sheriff banned Bloice from driving in the interim and released him on bail.
Just days after his death, Mr Young’s career was celebrated at the Scottish Hotel Awards, where he was described as “a tremendous talent who had already built a fantastic reputation.”
Mr Young had helped to establish the reputation of Opus One, in the New County Hotel, and in 2009 received the silver award in the new restaurant of the year category at the Scottish Chef Awards.
His restaurant had also been awarded two AA rosettes.