STV NewsA speeding driver who killed a couple on holiday in a head-on crash has been jailed for seven and a half years.
George Murphy, 55, caused the crash after overtaking three vehicles and trying to pass a bus on the A85 in Argyll on March 31, 2023.
Martin and Josephine Cousland, of Anstruther, Fife, did not survive the collision after their Audi Q2 was struck.
Murphy’s two sons – who were passengers in his Ford Mondeo – were also badly hurt.
Murphy – who had a history of road traffic offences – was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow on Tuesday.
He had earlier pleaded guilty to a charge of causing the deaths and serious injury by dangerous driving.
Lord Arthurson said: “The Couslands were a vigorous and extremely popular couple – the parents to two loving daughters and friends to many.
“They loved life and lived it to the full. Your criminal actions robbed them and their loved ones of a future together.
“Their daughters lost both their parents simultaneously in a moment.
“Putting matters bluntly, on that fateful day, your time was more important to you than the lives and welfare of any of your fellow road users.”
Murphy, of Thornliebank, East Renfrewshire, was banned from driving for life.
‘Haunted’ by crash that killed couple and injured driver’s sons
The crash occurred on the A85 Oban to Perth trunk road at Glen Lochy, around six miles from Tyndrum in Argyll.
Josephine, 69, had been driving the couple’s Audi that day with her 70-year-old husband Martin as the passenger.
The Couslands had been travelling to a hotel in Oban to meet their daughters before planning to start a holiday on the Isle of Mull.
The court heard one of their children then got the “catastrophic news” via a phone call from a police officer about the fatal crash.
Prosecutor Alex Prentice KC explained: “As she emerged out of a dip in the road, her vehicle collided head-on with the Ford Mondeo.
“Murphy had been travelling east on the westbound carriageway after performing a multi-vehicle overtake when approaching the brow of the hill.”
Murphy had tried to get around the coach despite having “insufficient visibility of oncoming traffic” due to the approaching blind summit and bend.
Footage of the crash – captured on a dash-cam and from the bus – was played at the hearing late last year.
Mr Prentice: “Several drivers and passengers from other vehicles ran to assist the occupants of both cars.
“There was nothing they could do to save the lives of Josephine and Martin Cousland.”
Murphy’s two sons – aged 25 and 21 – were also affected.
The elder son suffered a spinal injury, while the other had a broken hip shattered in 12 places.
The court heard the Couslands — who had two daughters, Penelope and Zoe — lived in a farmhouse in Anstruther.
The court earlier heard how Murphy was “haunted” by what happened.
His KC Tony Graham said: “There is no attempt to mitigate the standard of driving.
“It was an exceptionally foolhardy approach to that bend.
“He is a man broken, but realises that is insignificant to what others have lost.”
Lord Arthurson cut the jail term from 11 years due to the guilty plea.
After the hearing, the Couslands’ heartbroken daughters said no sentence would “bring back” their parents.
They added in a statement: “Due to the legal processes, we have been deprived of anything more than the mere basic facts of what happened until the plea hearing in November.
“We would urge those in power to consider changes to legislation to care better for grieving families and bystanders of road traffic offences.
“Every day, we mourn the loss of our fun, loving and kind parents, who have been victims of such a senseless crime.”
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