Ex-police officer killed wife's elderly aunt in crash the day before wedding

A former police officer killed his wife’s aunt the day before his wedding when he crashed head-on into a van.

Andrew Hyams, 62, struck the vehicle on the A737 between Kilwinning and Dalry, Ayrshire, on January 9, 2024.

Annie Sinclair, 88, who was the passenger in Hyams’ Ford Mondeo, died at the scene.

Hyams pled guilty at the High Court in Glasgow to causing Mrs Sinclair’s death and serious injury to the other driver by dangerous driving.

The court heard that the ex-Merseyside Police officer was driving Mrs Sinclair to his home in Saltcoats that day.

Hyams was due to remarry his ex-wife, whose aunt is Mrs Sinclair, after three years of divorce.

A van driver was also travelling home in the opposite direction.

Hyams failed to steer to negotiate a left-hand bend, the court heard. He then crossed the centre of the road, narrowly missing another vehicle and drove straight into the path of a van.

Both vehicles then collided head-on, resulting in extensive damage to both, causing them to come to a stop.

The van driver later reported that he saw the car, which was “not speeding.”

He stated that the car driver “wasn’t doing anything to get back to his own side of the road or slow down or brake.”

Emergency crews arrived at the scene and assessed that widower Mrs Sinclair was the most seriously injured.

She was removed from the vehicle and stretchered to an ambulance, where there was a failed resuscitation attempt.

It was found that she had sustained significant chest injuries which were not survivable and was pronounced dead at 4.02pm.

The van driver was conscious and did not appear to have life-threatening injuries but was taken to hospital.

He was found to have suffered a fracture to his sternum as well as cuts and bruises.

The man was unable to work for six months and later returned to the hospital to have a metal plate fixed to his sternum.

A collision investigation report determined that the collision was “solely caused by Mr Hyams’ failing to steer at the point he was negotiating the bend”.

Ian Duguid KC, defending, told the court that his client did later remarry his wife, who thought of Mrs Sinclair as her “favourite relative”.

The advocate further stated that Hyams retired five years before the “tragic” incident after 27 years’ service.

Mr Duguid said: “He is remorseful for the offence that transpired here and he is sorry.

“He would never have wished that his wife’s favourite relative would have missed the occasion.

“He himself is at a loss to try and explain why he proceeded [to drive] in a straight line.”

Sentence was deferred pending background reports until next month at the High Court in Livingston before Judge Lord Mulholland, who continued Hyams’ bail.