A promising student was killed in a drunken hit and run days before he was due to start studying at Dundee University.
Footballer Ciaran Dickson struck Aidan Pilkington in Glasgow’s Anniesland on September 11 2021.
Dickson got behind the wheel after drinking beer and cocktails with a friend and struck Aidan as was crossing a road, dragging him along the ground.
The 22-year-old fled the scene and abandoned his rented Mercedes close to his home.
Aidan, 18, suffered significant head injuries.
Dickson pled guilty at the High Court in Glasgow to causing death by dangerous driving.
Dundee move just days away
The tragic teenager’s family said at the time: “Aidan was treasured by his family, and well loved and respected by his friends and community.
“Aidan left Hyndland Secondary School in the summer, and was going to be moving to Dundee next Saturday to attend Dundee University.
“He created a bright future for himself and was really looking forward to these opportunities and challenges.
“It is very cruel that he has been robbed of his life in this way.
“The family would like to thank friends, in particular Aidan’s friends, and the wider community, for their love, support, and kindness.”
Late night tragedy
The court heard Dickson, of Erskine, Renfrewshire, played for Celtic’s B team at the time of the offence.
He went to restaurant Duck Bay Marina at Loch Lomond with a friend in the early evening, where he drank a pint of lager and a bottle of Corona, before driving to a pool club in Glasgow city centre.
CCTV confirmed Dickson drank a further two pints of lager and drove to The Black Horse bar, where he had three pints of the strong cocktail venom, topped up with an extra measure of vodka.
Aidan was out with drinking with school friends and left the pub at around 11.30pm.
The collision happened as Aidan crossed Crow Road around midnight.
As he was treated at the scene, Dickson drove off at, witnesses believed, around 50 to 70 miles per hour.
He abandoned his vehicle and ran nearly 200 metres to his home.
He handed himself into police the next day.
A post-mortem examination suggested Aidan was not standing at the time of the collision.
It is not known if he slipped or fell.
Collision investigators believed Dickson was travelling between 64 and 71mph at the time.
Forensic scientists calculated he was approximately more than three times over the drink-drive limit.
Previous driving offence
Thomas Ross KC, defending, said: “Nothing said by Ciaran Dickson can offer comfort to Aidan’s family and friends.
“He recognises that he is fully deserving of a sentence of imprisonment.”
Dickson’s previous convictions include careless driving from December 2020 when he was hit with three penalty points.
He was also convicted of a domestic matter in April 2023 when he was ordered to do 180 hours of unpaid work.
Dickson – who was tipped for first team football – was let go by Celtic having scored two goals in his first two appearances for the B-team, joining the Parkhead side just months after being released by Rangers.
Sentence was deferred pending background reports and Dickson was remanded in custody meantime.
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