Shocking Video: Ottawa Councillor Matthew Luloff Blows Double Legal Limit

A video of Coun. Matthew Luloff blowing double the legal blood-alcohol limit in breathalyzer tests at the Ottawa police cellblock in July 2024 was played at his trial Tuesday, and in it he tells the technician he'd been eating at Wendy's and trying to go to bed before he was arrested. The mention of Wendy's is the first piece of evidence placing Luloff in his Jeep minutes after it was seen swerving erratically by a witness who testified Monday. That witness told court she followed the Jeep to the Wendy's after it almost struck her, and that she watched it go through the drive-thru and then park in the lot. That's when she called 911, she said. The witness later followed the Jeep back to Luloff's street, but did not see it park and did not see who was behind the wheel. F--k I'm so f--ked.... I was literally ready to walk in my house and go to bed.- Coun. Matthew Luloff Luloff's statement about the Wendy's — and everything else he said in the 30-40 minutes during which the cellblock breath testing took place in the early hours of July 6, 2024 — could be excluded by the judge. The councillor's defence is expected to make arguments about the voluntariness of Luloff's statements, as well as an alleged violation of his Charter rights. Those arguments are expected at the end of the judge-alone Ontario Court trial, during closing submissions. Pleaded not guilty, charges unproven Luloff has pleaded not guilty to operating a vehicle while impaired and having a blood alcohol level above the legal limit within two hours of ceasing to drive. The allegations against him have not been proven. The video played in court Tuesday shows Luloff in a T-shirt and shorts entering a room in the cellblock with a large machine inside. He's greeted by the breath technician that night, Const. Maranda McCutcheon, and asks if he can urinate. "No, not yet," she replies. After being read standard cautions and demands for testing, and asked if he understands them, Luloff mostly replies that he hears and acknowledges them, but has been advised not to answer any questions. Later he asks again to pee and for water, and the constable says it has to wait until they're finished. He answers some basic questions, things like his weight and height, but declines to answer questions about whether he'd been drinking and when he'd last been driving. The councillor repeats multiple times that he'll "never forget" being cuffed on his property just moments before he was about step inside his house. "F--k I'm so f--ked," he says. "I was literally ready to walk in my house and go to bed." Some portions of the audio were loud and distorted in the courtroom, and couldn't be made out. Near the end, McCutcheon reads Luloff the results. 'Enough to lay a charge' "OK, so your first test was 179, we round down to 170. That right there is over 80. And the second one is 167, rounded down to 160. That’s enough to lay a charge for impaired driving," McCutcheon says. Luloff takes a seat and says nothing after the officer leaves the room to speak to the investigators. After she comes back he asks what happens next, and she explains when he's likely expected to show up to police headquarters and in court for his first appearance. In cross-examination, Greenspon pointed out that McCutcheon had to be reminded that Luloff's breath smelled of alcohol (which was in her notes), and re-iterated her testimony that she classified him as obviously impaired only because of his test results. She said he slurred some of his words while speaking long sentences, but that his face appeared similarly flushed in the courtroom on Tuesday as it did during the test. She said she didn't observe him to be unsteady on his feet while in the cellblock with him, though he was mostly sitting. Greenspon asked why she twice refused Luloff permission to urinate. McCutcheon said she allows it sometimes, but tries to "mitigate" it to prevent unusual things from happening. In a brief re-examination by assistant Crown Julian Daller she said it did not appear that he urgently needed to go, and that she classified his overall demeanour as "indifferent." Luloff may take the stand The Crown's next witness what the other officer who showed up at the scene, Const. Alvis Azzi. He testified that he asked Luloff where he'd been and how he'd gotten home that night, and that Luloff replied, "I drove," and said he'd been at Bluesfest. Azzi also asked Luloff whether he'd been driving the Jeep, and Luloff said no. Later, after Luloff failed the roadside test, Azzi asked him what he did for work as they made their way to the police vehicles. He testified that Luloff said something to the effect of, "I am the councillor for Ward 1 ... and you know that." Under cross-examination by Greenspon, Azzi said Luloff's Jeep felt hot to the touch, but he couldn't determine how recently it had been running. Azzi added that while the incident was reported as suspected impaired driving, he did not share that context with Luloff before questioning him on his driveway, telling him simply that police were investigating a driving complaint. "I could have gone into more detail about the call," Azzi said. Court heard Azzi then attended the Wendy's and that he was told by staff that they didn't remember anyone matching Luloff's description coming through because it was busy, and that there were no security cameras positioned to capture images of the driver. With Azzi's testimony complete, the Crown wrapped its evidence in the case. Greenspon said he and Luloff are considering whether the councillor should take the stand in his own defence when the trial resumes Wednesday morning.