Man murdered driver by deliberately driving head-on into bus in suicide bid

At-a-glance

David Livingstone found guilty of murdering bus driver in suicide attempt
Dad-of-three’s long-term partner broke up with him days before driving in front of bus
Murder branded ‘most selfish killing ever seen’ by judge
Popular bus driver Gordon Stirling, 23, died from his injuries
Livingstone told ex-partner from hospital bed that he ‘deliberately’ drove his van into the bus
Stirling was a ‘young man with everything in front of him, loved by family and friends’
Two bus passengers also left injured amid scenes of ‘carnage’

A man who deliberately drove in front of a bus, killing the young driver, has been convicted of murder.

David Livingstone had planned to take his own life after his long-term partner ended their relationship.

The 44-year-old played an online “yes/no game” to decide his fate shortly before the fatal collision.

Livingstone was driving his work’s Ford Transit van when he crashed into the single-decker Stagecoach bus driven by Gordon Stirling.

Gordon Stirling: Bus driver killed in crash on A77. Kian Woods

The 23-year-old didn’t survive, while two passengers were hurt in the crash on A77 near Fenwick, Ayrshire, on August 14, 2023.

Livingstone was also badly injured and appeared for his trial at the High Court in Glasgow in a wheelchair.

He denied intending to take his own life, claiming he had no memory of the collision, but jurors found him guilty of murder.

‘Most selfish’ killing ever seen by judge

A judge described it as the “most selfish” killing he had seen in his decades in the courts.

Members of Gordon’s family in court for the verdict were emotional.

They attended with his ashes in an urn kept inside a rucksack that had belonged to him.

The family all wore purple T-shirts, which had been Gordon’s favourite colour.

They will find out the minimum amount of time Livingstone will spend in prison when he returns to the dock next month.

The trial heard how Livingstone’s partner had ended their relationship of more than 20 years, days before the crash.

The couple’s son told the court his father was “as strong as he could be” immediately following the split, but had been “shocked” by what happened.

Livingstone had been working in Millport on a construction site on the day of the murder.

Killer sent ‘love you’ messages to kids minutes before crash

The fatal crash occurred around 5.30pm as he was apparently returning to his home in Stewarton, Ayrshire.

Around ten minutes before this, he sent “love you” messages to his son and eldest daughter.

His daughter said her father “did not usually” say something like that by text, while his son told the court he had been “worried” when he received it.

He added: “From my experience, texts like that usually leads to someone doing something bad. I did not know what he was up to or what he was doing.”

Livingstone drove his van head-on into Gordon’s bus on the A77.

Jurors heard of the “carnage” in the aftermath.

CCTV footage of inside the bus showed Gordon injured on the floor of the coach before emergency services arrived.

One witness at the scene told how he comforted the young man by holding his hand.

Gordon, of Crosshouse, also in Ayrshire, died in hospital.

Livingstone suffered multiple broken bones.

He was visited in hospital by his ex-partner and her mother following the incident.

It was there that Livingstone was said to have confessed that he “deliberately” drove his van into the bus.

The court was told he added that they were not to “tell anybody” as he would “get into trouble”.

Livingstone gave evidence during the trial.

Confession from hospital bed

He recalled how his partner had broken up with him by text days before the murder. Livingstone tried unsuccessfully to get her to return to the family home.

But he repeatedly denied in his testimony that he had had suicidal thoughts.

Livingstone claimed to have little memory of his journey after getting off the ferry from Millport.

His KC Ian Duguid asked him about the comment he made while in his hospital bed.

The advocate asked: “Would that have been true that you deliberately drove into the bus?”

Livingstone replied: “Absolutely not.”

He also rejected a suggestion that he had once spoken about taking his own life by driving into the path of a bus or a lorry.

The jury heard how Livingstone had been on a site called “Wheel Decide” on the day of the crime.

He described it as “a game for me, guessing yes or no” but denied using it to determine his fate.

Mr Duguid put to him: “Are you accessing ‘Wheel Decide’ to invite it to make a decision for you?”

Livingstone replied: “Absolutely not. I do not imagine anyone suicidal would do that.”

Prosecutor Mark Mohammed KC later suggested to Livingstone he had been “waiting for a bus to come the other way”.

He denied this. Mr Mohammed said: “You are very definitive for a man who cannot remember being there.”

Livingstone said: “I do not remember, but I do not believe I was waiting for a bus.”

It emerged after the verdict that Livingstone had previously been jailed for drug trafficking.

Lord Mulholland deferred sentencing until October 29 in Stirling.

The judge told Livingstone: “I have been in the courts for 40 years and this is the most selfish murder I have ever encountered.

“It is tragic that you wanted to take your own life, but you took someone else’s life.

“A young man with everything in front of him, loved by family and friends, who sat beside him for days as his life slipped away with the injuries that you inflicted on him.

“It is selfish in the extreme, and you will pay a heavy price for that.”

Help and support is available now if you need it.

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