The mother of one of two workmen struck by a car while they painted lines on a road has described as “pathetic” the sentence handed down to the driver.
Leslie teenager Jordan Caird was sentenced to be detained for just over 13 months after previously admitting various charges, including dangerous driving, drink-driving and failing to stop after an accident, relating to the incident on the A92 close to Melville Lodges Roundabout on July 16 last year.
Caird (19), of Paterson Park, had never passed a driving test and had downed Buckfast with his brother and a friend before getting behind the wheel of a car he had owned for just a few days and driving through the Fife countryside.
One of those he struck, Neil Parkes, remains in a wheelchair and requires round-the-clock care after being hit head-on, thrown several feet into the air and coming to rest some 10 metres away in bushes.
Doctors had initially thought Mr Parkes’ injuries were “unsurvivable.” Although he recovered from a medically induced coma, he has been left severely disabled and is reliant on family and carers in almost every aspect of daily life.
The other BEAR Scotland employee, Omer Abdulhamid, was less seriously injured but required hospital treatment after being struck on his right hip and back.
Mr Parkes’ mother Julia was not keen to speak to reporters after Thursday’s hearing, but described the sentence as “pathetic”.
As she left the court, she added, “I hope he (Caird) rots in hell.”
Sentencing Caird to a total of 405 days’ detention at Cupar Sheriff Court, Sheriff Charles Macnair accepted he had shown a degree of remorse but ruled that had been somewhat mitigated by his failure to explain why he had driven off after the incident.
Caird had said he had told passengers he thought he had hit something but was assured by them he had not, although Sheriff Macnair said he did not find that “in any way credible” as the windscreen of the Peugeot 106 he had been driving had been smashed.
“This was a horrific accident resulting from your dangerous driving when you had no business to be on the road at all. You had not passed your test, you had nobody beside you and you had no L-plates. You were also over the limit because you had consumed too much alcohol,” the sheriff told Caird.
Continued…
“The resulting injuries because of your bad driving were horrific and Mr Parkes is extremely fortunate to be alive. He will no doubt suffer the consequences of your actions for the rest of his life. Happily the other injured person was not as seriously injured but, again, that was down to luck.
“It was extremely fortunate for justice that you were traced and in many ways that makes the whole incident more serious.”
The court heard how Caird, his brother and a friend had got into the car at around 10.45pm. After buying petrol, Caird sped off down the A92 towards Dundee and hit Mr Parkes and Mr Abdulhamid as they worked near Ladybank Golf Club even though cones, flashing lights and bright flood-lighting were present.
Depute fiscal Laura McLaughlin updated the court on Mr Parkes’ condition, confirming he had had an operation on his knee in May and described difficulties he has with his vision, speech and left arm.
Caird’s solicitor Susan Bonellie said her client had shown remorse for the “truly horrific incident that had consequences nothing short of devastating for all parties concerned.”
Ms Bonellie stressed it had not been his deliberate intention to hurt someone, although she said that did nothing to minimise his “very conscious and very foolish decision making.”
Adding that Caird appreciated the gravity of the incident, she conceded that he was very realistic about the sentencing options available to Sheriff Macnair but urged against a custodial sentence.
However, Sheriff Macnair said a lengthy sentence was foremost in his mind.
Caird was admonished on the charge of drink-driving (47 mics, the legal limit is 35) but was sentenced to a total of 405 days for dangerous driving and his failure to stop after the accident.
He was also disqualified from driving for four years and ordered to sit the extended driving test after that period.