A former footballer has been banned from driving after seriously injuring a biker in a crash in Kinross-shire.
Former St Mirren and Cowdenbeath striker Paul McQuade was fined £900 and banned from the road for 18 months after being found guilty after trial at Perth Sheriff Court.
A trial heard how McQuade – now a civil engineer – pulled out directly into the path of Archie Collyer, 20, and caused him multiple fracture injuries.
McQuade was dropping a teenage boy at home after football training when he failed to judge Mr Collyer’s distance and smashed into his Yamaha 125 motorcycle.
The biker suffered a broken pelvis, leg and arm and required to have surgery to have metal plates inserted in several parts of his body.
McQuade claimed he had looked along the mile-long straight of the B996 near Kinross and assessed that the biker was around 400 yards away when he emerged onto the main road.
However, despite attempting to swerve to avoid crashing into the former footballer’s Audi A6, Mr Collyer ploughed into the front and was thrown into the middle of the road.
Mr Collyer told the trial: “I was going to Costa to get a drink.
“I had my high beam on. It was a straight road. I was doing 60 miles per hour.
“I saw headlights and I put my arms up to cover my face and I don’t know after that.
“I thought I would cover my face so I didn’t break my neck.
“I tried to swerve a tiny bit. The next thing I remember is looking at the clock in the hospital and it said it was the 14th of March (eight days later).”
McQuade said he was returning from youth football training in Dunfermline when he came to the junction and stopped, before pulling out to turn right.
“There’s not much lighting. I wouldn’t call it the best of roads, so I’ve got to be quite mindful pulling out there, especially when it’s dark.
“I looked right and saw a light in the distance. It seemed so far away.
“It was probably a few hundred yards or so – maybe 400 yards. I turned right.
“As I got over to the other side of the road I just saw a light in my windscreen and heard a loud bang. I didn’t know what it was.
“I got out the car immediately and saw a motorbike in front of my car and was looking round in a bit of a panic.
“I saw Archie in the middle of the road behind me.
“It just felt like it happened so quickly. The light was so small when I saw it.”
Asked to explain how the accident happened, he replied: “I don’t know.”
Guilty
McQuade, 37, of Cardenden, was found guilty of causing serious injury by careless driving on March 6 2024.
Sheriff David Hall said: “You moved out of the junction without due care and attention. That was a misjudgment by you.”
Solicitor David Holmes, defending, said: “He made a mistake with significant consequences for the complainer but also for him.
“He will be disqualified and that will be a significant punishment not only for him but for those he supports.”
McQuade also spent periods playing for St Mirren, Forfar, East Fife and a number of East of Scotland League teams.
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