A motorist who caused an accident in which a woman and her two daughters sustained a catalogue of injuries has been banned from driving for six months.
One of the daughters lost her unborn child following the collision in Fife between two cars and Colin Wotherspoon’s van and had to be airlifted to hospital.
Victim Pamela Bissett hit out at the sentence a £450 fine and nine penalty points handed to Wotherspoon (51), a construction operative at Edinburgh Airport, at his last appearance in Cupar Sheriff Court last month.
As Wotherspoon, of Hillcrest, Cowdenbeath, already had three points on his licence, the sentence meant he would be banned from driving.
He was due to make a plea against the ban yesterday, claiming it would cause him undue hardship as driving was essential for his job, but his application for a proof was withdrawn so it was imposed by Sheriff Charles Macnair.AppealIt was indicated an appeal is to be lodged by him in relation to the case, but his solicitor James Varney refused to give details after the hearing.
Wotherspoon admitted driving carelessly on the A91 between Cupar and Dairsie on May 24, last year. The court heard how his van swerved across the carriageway and struck a car being driven by James Cronin then the car in which Ms Bissett was travelling with her mother Margaret Sweeney and sister Elizabeth Leslie.
One of the women suffered punctured lungs, fractures in both legs, broken ribs, had her arm reset in external care and required a blood transfusion. Another was in intensive care for seven weeks.
Sheriff Macnair had told Wotherspoon he was extremely fortunate no-one had died.
Mr Varney, who voiced his client’s severe remorse and apologies to the victims, earlier told the court his client had not been speeding but that his attention had lapsed for a moment.