A man who killed four people in a high speed car crash had a driving ban lifted today after a judge heard he was a changed man.
Justin Vieregge was disqualified from driving for 12 years in 2003 after he was convicted of causing the multiple deaths in a Highland crash by dangerous driving.
The businessman was also sentenced to seven years imprisonment at the High Court in Edinburgh, although the jail term was later reduced by 18 months by appeal judges.
Vieregge, 35, from Aviemore, returned to the court seeking the removal of the disqualification.
After hearing evidence in the application, Lord Uist, who originally jailed and banned him, said he would exercise his discretion in removing the 12-year disqualification.
The decision will allow Vieregge to apply for a provisional licence, but before he gets a full driving licence he will still have to sit the extended test as required by the court.
Lord Uist said he was "much impressed" by the evidence given to the court by Vieregge's father-in-law, John Borrowman.
The judge said: "I am satisified from that evidence that since this tragic accident, in which four people were killed through the dangerous driving of Mr Vieregge, he has, as Mr Borrowman put it matured a lot, is a lot more serious and responsible and thoughtful."
"Before the accident he was described by Mr Borrowman as 'a spoilt little rich boy'," said Lord Uist.
Vieregge said being unable to drive hampers his ability to run his restaurant in Aviemore. He also says he worries what might happen how he would get his baby son to hospital if ever there were an emergency.
Mr Borrowman said of Vieregge: "When I first met him he struck me as a spoilt little rich boy, but since the accident he has become a lot more thoughful. There has been quite a big change," he said.
Vieregge, a first offender, lost control of a silver MGF car as he drove towards Aviemore at an estimated 92mph and crashed into a car coming in the opposite direction on the B9152.
Along with his business partner and passenger Calum MacLean, the driver and two passengers in the other vehicle died following the collision. Vieregge was the only survivor.
The MGF spun and the passenger side hit the Peugeot car of mechanic Robin Scott, 47, from Kingussie. Mr Scott was killed along with his wife Elizabeth, 46, and his widowed mother Marion, 74.
Lord Uist, who was sitting as a temporary judge at the time, told Vieregge when he sentenced him in 2003: "In your thirst for speed you treated a public road as if it was some kind of private race track on which you could give free rein to the performance of your sports car."
"In doing so you ignored the safety of the public. This case should serve as an object lesson to all like-minded drivers that speed does actually kill," he said.
