Drink-driver ordered more beer after killing pensioner

A speeding drink-driver killed a pensioner at a bus stop before drinking more beer.

Martin Henderson, 30, fled the scene after inflicting fatal injuries on father-of-three Allan Forbes, 70, and consumed more alcohol before contacting police claiming his car had been stolen.

Repeat motoring offender Henderson also seriously injured Chloe Donaldson, 18, who was also standing by the bus shelter when he lost control of his BMW.

At the High Court in Edinburgh on Tuesday, Lord Mulholland said: “This is appalling driving and it is not just a momentary lapse of appalling driving.

“It is appalling driving for quite some distance, involving speeding, going through a red light, undertaking, overtaking when it is unsafe to do so, all while you are under the influence of alcohol.”

The judge said it had made his car “a lethal weapon”, adding: “You have taken a life and given that poor family a life sentence.”

After the hearing, Mr Forbes’ family issued a statement through solicitors Digby Brown.

It read: “The loss of Allan has devastated us and it has left a huge gap in our family that will never be filled.

“We are glad justice has been done and it means our family can focus on healing.

“Finally, we’d like to thank our loved ones, friends and those in the community who have supported us.”

Miss Donaldson suffered a broken leg and nose, a cut lip and chipped teeth and grazing. The fracture to her left leg required surgery to insert a metal plate and pins.

Lord Mulholland added: “You should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself.”

The incident happened on the A96 Inverurie to Aberdeen road in Bucksburn on November 9 last year.

Mr Forbes, a retired bus driver who had been married for 47 years, was killed while waiting for a bus to meet up with his youngest son.

Henderson, who earlier drank two-and-a-half pints of lager during a meal at a pub with a workmate, ran through a red light and was seen travelling at 97mph in a 40mph zone.

Just before the fatal collision he was estimated to be travelling at 67mph in a 30mph zone.

After losing control of his BMW 320 estate near a bend, Henderson smashed into another vehicle before going on to hit a pavement and ploughing into the bus shelter.

He then fled the scene and made his way to a nearby pub, where he ordered himself a pint of beer and asked the manager to call him a taxi.

When home, he drank some more lager before calling the police to report the alleged theft of his car.

Police found him asleep on his sofa and arrested him when he tested more than three-times the legal drink-drive limit.

Henderson, an engineering supervisor with an offshore oil company, admitted causing the death of Mr Forbes and inflicting severe injury to Miss Donaldson by dangerous driving.

He also admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice by leaving the crime scene and falsely reporting his car was stolen.

The court heard Henderson, of Inverurie in Aberdeenshire, had six previous road traffic convictions and had three driving bans for speeding, being in charge of a vehicle whilst over the drink-drive limit, and careless driving.

Henderson was remanded in custody pending reports. He will be sentenced on June 30.