A POLICE officer who was convicted of drink-driving after a fatal crash in Ramsbottom has resigned from the force.

Brendan Buggie, aged 39, of Rochdale Road, Edenfield, was given a four-month jail term, suspended for 18 months, last Friday for the offence in which his girlfriend, a passenger in the car, died.

He had been cleared by a jury last month of causing Justyna Stanczak's death by careless driving.

Buggie had been suspended from Greater Manchester Police since the collision in Manchester Road occurred, shortly after midnight on December 5, 2011. He formally resigned last week.

The off-duty officer had drunk about six pints and was between one-and-a-half to two times over the legal limit when he crashed his sports car into a parked van on the A56 in appalling weather conditions.

Miss Stanczak, aged 26, who worked at the First Chop bar in Ramsbottom, was in the front seat of Buggie's Toyota Celica, and died later.

The pair had recently started a relationship after Buggie split up with his girlfriend of three years.

Bradford Crown Court heard Buggie, who had six previous speeding offences, had not intended to drive, but offered Miss Stanczak a lift back to her Bury home after his ex-girlfriend’s mother saw them returning to his house.

Judge Colin Burn described the decision taken by Buggie to drive that night as “catastrophic”.

He said: “That decision to drive and your being the driver led indirectly to the collision which caused the death of Miss Stanczak.

“You were, at the time, a serving police officer and I am bound to observe that makes the decision even more incredible in many ways and certainly more reprehensible.”

He added: “I also accept you are remorseful about this catastrophic decision that you took.”

The judge ordered Buggie to attend a 14-week drink-impaired drivers programme and made an 18-month supervision order.

Buggie was disqualified from driving for 18 months and made subject of a curfew order for 30 days.

The trial last month heard Buggie had spent the afternoon drinking and met Miss Stanczak after she had finished her shift at the First Chop on a freezing cold night. Buggie told the court he felt sober when he got behind the wheel and was driving within the 40mph speed limit.

Expert witnesses told the jury the road was extremely icy and the conditions treacherous.

After the collision, Buggie called 999 and attempted to administer first-aid to Miss Stanczak, who died of massive internal bleeding in hospital hours later.