Drink-driver who ordered more beer after killing man jailed

A speeding drink-driver who killed a pensioner at a bus stop before drinking more beer has been jailed for more than seven years.

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.

Ms 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.

At the High Court in Glasgow on Thursday, Henderson was jailed for seven years and four months.

He was also banned from driving for the next 23 years and seven months after pleading guilty to causing the death of Mr Forbes and inflicting severe injury to Ms 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.

Lord Mulholland told him: “Mr Forbes was propelled some distance and died on the spot.

“Ms Donaldson has still not fully recovered.

“While under the influence of alcohol, you drove like a maniac.

“You then only thought of yourself. Instead of helping the poor people you had harmed, you fled the scene and went to a nearby pub

“You consumed more alcohol then went home and had even more alcohol.

“You then despicably lied to police when you reported your car stolen.”

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.

An earlier court hearing heard that 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.

Defence lawyer Neil Shand said Henderson accepted he had been an “idiot” when younger and had thrown away any “progress” with these crimes.

The advocate added: “His actions were deeply irresponsible and have caused lasting pain for the family of Mr Forbes and to Ms Donaldson.”

Mr Shand said Henderson had “lacked courage” in the aftermath of the incident.

Sentencing, Lord Mulholland also paid tribute to the “humbling” victim statements made by Mr Forbes family and Ms Donaldson.

He said: “They display the enduring bravery and human spirit in the face of the misery that you caused.”