A van driver who blacked out before mowing down two children on a remote Perthshire road has been handed a “minimum” one year driving ban.
Pensioner Ronald Craik struck school friends Ellie Sinclair, 15, and Sarah Thomas, 14, as he drove home through rural Carse of Gowrie in a van with no air conditioning on one of the hottest days of the year.
He later told police he thought he fell asleep after becoming “overcome” by heat.
During a trial at Perth Sheriff Court, lawyers argued that Craik had not dozed off at the wheel but had instead fainted.
A jury found he was not criminally responsible for the crash, which happened on the Inchmichael to Balbeggie road in July 2019.
However, Craik was found guilty of dangerous driving for carrying on down the road with a smashed windscreen.
Post-syncope confusion
Craik, of Mansfield Road, Scone, returned to the dock this week for sentencing.
Defence counsel Mark Stewart KC said: “The circumstances of this conviction relate to the immediate post-accident driving.”
He told the court the offence may have been a consequence of confusion after his client came round after fainting.
“In the moments post-syncope, he made a bad decision.
“The potential danger here is presented by the broken windscreen – not the nature of the driving – and that is accepted.”
Mr Stewart added: “This is a man who at 73 has never troubled the courts.
“He has a driving career that spans about 55 years.”
He said his client, a semi-retired marine engineer, had been under the “stress and strain” of waiting for trial since the accident.
”He is deeply conscious of the injuries sustained and the impact on the families affected,” Mr Stewart said.
Remorseful
Sheriff David Hall told Craik: “You are 73 and apart from one minor blemish you have a clean driving history.
“It’s clear that you have genuine remorse regarding the events of this particular day.
“That has had an effect on you.
“I also acknowledge you have been waiting four years for this matter to finally been dealt with.”
The sheriff added: “I agree with Mr Stewart’s submission that this case of dangerous driving is at the lower end of the scale.”
“All of those factors allow me to deal with this by way of a financial penalty.
“You will be disqualified for the minimum period of 12 months.”
Craik was fined £1,000.
‘Life-changing’ injuries
Ms Sinclair, who was 15 at the time, spent 36 hours in intensive care before being transferred to a paediatric high dependency unit for five days.
Her mother told The Courier how she had been left with “life-changing” injuries which could affect future employment.
She said the “roads are safer” now that Craik has lost his licence.
Ms Thomas, now 18, told the trial she and her friend stepped onto the grass verge when they saw Craik’s Citreon Berlingo approaching.
She said the van continued towards them.
The next thing she remembered was waking up on her front, with her friend lying face up in the bushes.
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