A single mum left with life-changing injuries by a speeding joyrider has slammed the lack of remorse shown by appealing his prison sentence.
Scott Fairweather had four months knocked off his jail term after successfully appealing against the 40 months imposed for causing a crash from which Rachel Ward has still not recovered.
After failing to stop at a red light, Fairweather smashed into Miss Ward’s car at high speed in Forfar in November 2020.
Miss Ward spent a fortnight in Ninewells Hospital with a collapsed lung and broken pelvis and now suffers from a heart murmur.
Fairweather, 28, appealed and succeeded in arguing a portion of his prison term – 13 months for attempting to defeat the ends of justice – was excessive and should be reduced.
Miss Ward said if Fairweather had been remorseful, he would have accepted his 40-month sentence and got on with serving it.
She said: “There’s not much I can do, which is tough.
“I’m absolutely gutted.
“I don’t have much faith in the justice system.
“I was hopeful that his sentence would be kept the same or increased.”
‘I feel like he’s got away with it.’
Still receiving physiotherapy every fortnight and on painkillers, Rachel is targeting a return to the gym, a favourite hobby from before the crash.
However, with broken pelvises taking as long as two years to heal, that could be some time away.
“I just want to move on but I can’t say that I’m looking forward to seeing him walk out of jail.
“I don’t know if this is something I can fight.
“I feel like he’s got away with it.
“What would have happened if I’d died? I’ve been let down by the system.”
Successful appeal
Miss Ward said she wept when she found four months had been written off Fairweather’s sentence and she is considering writing to the justice authorities.
Still unable to watch the horrific CCTV footage of the crash, Miss Ward said police were “disgusted” by what happened last November.
Fairweather, of Easterbank, Forfar, suffered a broken leg but still managed to run away.
However, his defence solicitor explained as part of his appeal, he had made his way back to the scene of the crash, where the police were already waiting for him.
He successfully argued the portion of prison time imposed for attempting to defeat the ends of justice was, thus, too harsh.
