A jury has heard how a Dairsie man “freaked out” after he ran over his girlfriend during a drunken joyride at the West Sands beach in St Andrews.
David Owen was yesterday found guilty of driving over Louise Graham as she slept in a tent they had pitched at the beauty spot in 2008.
Jurors heard how Miss Graham screamed in agony and thought she was “suffocating” when she woke up to find herself trapped underneath the car.
She was left with horrific, injuries after parts of her arm and stomach “melted.”
The couple were on a camping trip with friends when Owen decided to go for a late night spin.
A jury at Cupar Sheriff Court took just 35 minutes to find Owen, now 21, of Station Road, Dairsie, guilty of taking his then girlfriend’s car without permission on October 8, 2008.
Then, while under the influence of alcohol, he culpably and recklessly drove it over Miss Graham to her severe injury and permanent disfigurement.
Detective Constable Laura Nash read from a statement signed by Owen’s best friend Andrew McKenna.Drinking”We were all drinking cider and Tennent’s (lager), except for Louise, who only had one cup of cider,” the statement said.
“Louise then fell asleep inside the tent and Momo (Owen) took Louise’s car keys from her jacket pocket. He said he was going for a spin in the car and asked if I wanted to go with him but I said no because he was pissed.”
It was not long before the nature of Owen’s driving started to cause concern.
“Momo started driving about on the grass doing handbrake turns,” the statement continued. He nearly tipped the car on the grass bumps and then brought the car back over to the tent to try and get me to get in.”
The statement described how Owen lost control of the car before smashing into the tent his girlfriend was in.
“Momo stalled the car and he tried to start it again, but he forgot it was in gear and it went forward and then went over Louise,” it said.
“The car went into the tent and Louise was under it … It had gone right on top of her and one front wheel was on her arm.”
The statement said Miss Graham was clearly in agony.Screaming”Louise was screaming and greeting and Momo got out of the car,” it continued. “We tried to push the car off of her, but it would not move so I got in the car and reversed it off Louise. Momo was freaking out, so I had to get the car off her.”
The statement signed by Mr McKenna went on to explain how part of Miss Graham’s arm and stomach had “melted” as a result of the incident.
“We ripped the tent apart to get Louise out and she was screaming,” it said. “The skin was melted off her arm and her stomach had a big burn on it. We just left everything the tent and the drink. Louise was saying she could hardly breathe.”
DC Nash said Mr McKenna’s statement revealed Owen told his friends not to phone an ambulance from the scene in case the police got involved.
Instead they drove to Owen’s mother’s house in Dairsie, from where an ambulance was called.
Miss Graham was then taken to Ninewells Hospital where she remained for a week, eventually receiving a series of skin grafts.
When he was called to the witness stand yesterday, Mr McKenna said he could not remember giving a statement to police, but admitted it contained his signature.
DC Nash recalled going to the West Sands following the incident and said the remains of a tent and alcohol bottles were “scattered about.”
She also said there were tyre tracks on the grass near where the tent had been.
Owen will be sentenced on February 24 following the preparation of reports.