Lorry driver high on cocaine who killed man crossing road jailed for six years

A cocaine-fuelled lorry driver who killed a pensioner as he crossed the road has been jailed for six and a half years.

Edward Feelie failed to stop at a red light and knocked down Robert Shirra-Gibb in Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, days before Christmas 2023.

The 84-year-old, who had to be freed from under the Isuzu flatbed truck, never recovered from the collision.

Feelie had taken cocaine before starting his shift that morning.

A judge commented how Feelie “staggeringly” used the class A substance regularly over the previous decade, as a mechanism to get ready for work and be alert.

The 54-year-old had pleaded guilty to a charge of causing death by dangerous driving at the High Court in Glasgow.

He was sentenced by Lord Arthurson at a hearing in Inverness.

The jail term was cut from nine and a half years due to the guilty plea.

Feelie, also of Blantyre, was banned from driving for life.

The incident occurred at around 6pm on December 19, 2023.

Another driver had spotted Mr Shirra-Gibb crossing the town’s Glasgow Road that evening.

“Mr Shirra-Gibb made it across the eastbound carriageway,” said Prosecutor Lindsey Dalziel.

“However, on entering the westbound, he was struck by Feelie’s vehicle.

“He appeared to fail to slow or react to a red light as well as the presence of Mr Shirra-Gibb upon crossing.”

The father-of-two was propelled forward before being trapped under the lorry.

Feelie, who had been working as a traffic management operative, immediately got out, appearing “shocked and agitated”.

However, he initially seemed unaware of a stricken Mr Shirra-Gibb being helped by others.

Emergency crews arrived and the pensioner of Coatshill, Lanarkshire, was rushed to hospital.

The court heard he had suffered “catastrophic” pelvic, chest, and back injuries.

He also had a bleed on the brain and died the next day.

Crash investigators found the red traffic signal that night had been showing for 11 seconds before the collision.

Mr Shirra-Gibb had been on the road for around seven seconds.

Ms Dalziel said Feelie’s lorry “did not deviate until the moment of impact”.

A blood sample was taken from Feelie at a police station after the incident.

It was found to contain 67mg of cocaine per litre of blood. The specified limit is 10mg.

The sentencing hearing was told that in a background psychological report, it emerged Feelie admitted to taking “large quantities” of cocaine initially at weekends, then daily for the past ten years.

He was also a regular cannabis user.

Lord Arthurson told Feelie that he was guilty of a “shocking crime”. He was said to have been “struggling to show empathy” for his victim.

The judge stated: “You took cocaine and then drove your lorry without a second thought for the catastrophic potential consequences of such conduct for other road users.”

Lord Arthurson paid tribute to Mr Shirra-Gibb described as a “man of faith” who was “deeply loved” and will be “profoundly missed” by his family and local community.