Man killed girlfriend in crash after 'moment's lapse' in concentration

Sara Louise Scott: The 20-year-old died in a car crash in Fife.

A man who killed his girlfriend in a road smash has been ordered to carry out community service.

Jamie Murray, 22, admitted causing the death of Sara Louise Scott, 20, by driving without due care and attention on a rural road in north-east Fife.

Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court heard how Murray lost control of his Seat Cupra car on the A92 between New Inn and Freuchie on November 5, 2010 causing it to mount a verge.

He was driving Ms Scott to Glenrothes when the accident happened.

The car went into a spin, repeatedly rolled over and collided with a verge on the opposite side of the road before landing on its side.

Ms Scott suffered severe injuries as a result of the crash and died the following day at Dunfermline's Queen Margaret Hospital.

Murray had been remanded in custody last month after failing to turn up for an interview with social workers for a pre-sentencing report claiming he was "tired".

On Thursday a sheriff told him he would be released and ordered him to carry out community service instead of serving a jail term.

Murray, of Queens Gardens, Ladybank, Fife, pleaded guilty on indictment to a charge of causing death by careless driving.

His defence lawyer, Alan Davie, said Murray was "not entirely sure" how the crash happened and had "suffered greatly" in the aftermath.

He said: "He doesn't think he was speaking to Sara or arguing with her at the time. He's not entirely sure what caused this but he had a minor lapse in concentration which resulted in the left wheels catching the verge and causing him to lose control. He fully accepts that he was careless and this has led to terrible consequences. These are consequences he will have to live with for the rest of his life.

"He lost a long term girlfriend he cared about and he recognises her parents have lost their daughter and she leaves behind a sister and two brothers. He himself is understandably distraught about the death of his girlfriend. He was visibly upset when talking to me about the case.

"This is a case of careless driving where the results were tragic and disproportionate to his level of carelessness. It would be reasonable to say that most people who have driven for a long time have had such lapses without such consequences. His mistake on this occasion has had such awful consequences. He says he has no intention of driving again in the future."

Sheriff Grant McCulloch ordered Murray to perform 275 hours community service, be supervised for two years by social workers and banned him from driving for six years.

He said: "I did not know Sara Scott but by all accounts she was a lovely girl, sorely missed by all who knew her. A moment's lapse leads to this tragedy depriving a family of a much loved daughter. Your driving was not dangerous, if it was a custodial sentence would have been inevitable.

"This was carelessness and in these particular circumstances custody is not necessary. You have served three weeks in custody for failing to turn up for reports, I trust that having spent that time in custody you have reflected on that."

Speaking the day after her death, family and friends of Sara, of St Andrews, paid tribute to the "fun loving, beautiful girl".

In a statement released through police, they said: "Sara-Louise Scott was a much loved daughter, granddaughter, sister, partner, niece and friend. Her family are devastated at this time and will desperately miss the bubbly, fun loving, beautiful girl Sara was. She will be missed by everyone who knew and loved her."

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