THE HIGH Court at Forfar yesterday heard how an 18-year-old Perthshire youth and his 14-year-old girl friend, neither of whom were wearing seatbelts, were thrown from a car as it went out of control on a bend and overturned.

Jenna Morris, of Perth, died from her injuries and the driver, Iain Martin, suffered multiple injuries including a fractured skull.

Martin, of Lambourn, Wolfhill, admitted that on December 28, 2003, on the Blairgowrie to Perth road near Guildtown, he caused the death of Ms Morris by driving dangerously and at an excessive speed, losing control of the car and causing it to mount a grass verge where it overturned several times, and that Ms Morris was so severely injured that she died at the scene.

Advocate depute Alex Prentice said Ms Morris had been the accused’s girl friend for around three months and the accused had less than three months’ driving experience.

The accident had happened at 10.55 am and Mr Prentice said there had been a series of bends which were sign-posted.

A witness had been travelling in the opposite direction at the time with his daughter who, by coincidence, had been involved in a minor road accident the day previously.

“The man was pointing out features of the road and driving conditions in order to give his daughter an education in driving manners, and as he approached a bend became aware of the accused’s Ford Fiesta.”

Mr Prentice added, “His impression was that the vehicle was travelling too fast and made a comment to his daughter ‘Look at that idiot’.”

He had kept an eye on the situation and then became aware of the Fiesta rolling over.

He and a number of others found the accused and Ms Morris lying in the road.

An ambulance team concluded that Ms Morris had died from her injuries and the accused was taken to Ninewells in Dundee suffering from a fractured skull, fractured pelvis, collapsed lung and ruptured spleen.

The cause of death in the case of Ms Morris was said to be multiple injuries due to blunt force trauma.

Crash investigators found that the accused had driven into the bend at an excessive speed for the road conditions which were wet, and had then compensated by steering too sharply.

It was concluded that the sharp steering had caused the tyre to deflate because of the cornering force.

“The investigators point out that had both occupants been wearing seatbelts it is possible that neither would have been ejected from the vehicle and the injuries they sustained greatly reduced.”

The accused, he said, had no recollection of the accident but had written from his hospital bed to Ms Morris’ family saying he was sorry for what had happened.

Advocate Stephen Hughes, for Martin, said the plea of guilty had been tendered on the basis of a combination of speed and harsh steering that caused the accident.

Sentence was deferred until February 10 for a social inquiry report and Lord Brodie told Martin that the accused could not draw any conclusion from the fact he would continue to be at liberty until sentence was pronounced.