Van driver jailed for killing Glasgow pensioner
Sergej Rutkovskij ploughed into 78 year old Robert Taylor at traffic lights on the Gallowgate last March
A Lithuanian man has been jailed for for three years and nine months for knocking down and killing a pensioner.
Sergej Rutkovskij, 28, admitted hitting frail 78-year-old Robert Taylor as he slowly crossed the road at night.
Rutkovskij, a driver for a car rental company, had been waiting at the lights at the junction of Bellgrove Street and Abercromby Street, Glasgow, on March 27, last year.
When the lights changed to green he failed to notice that Mr Taylor was still slowly making his way across the junction, and ploughed into him at speed.
Judge Lady Scott told Rutkovskij, who has a previous conviction for careless driving: “Mr Taylor was clearly visible to all other traffic. You accelerated at speed towards Mr Taylor. You should have seen him. You have left his family, especially his brother and sister, devastated. He was described as a good man and a great brother.
“However, I accept you have genuine remorse. You lost your own brother in a road traffic accident. You are of good character and a good worker and I accept you are devastated by what you have done.”
Lady Scott banned Rutkovskij from driving for five years.
Solicitor advocate Ann Ritchie, defending, said: “He accepts full responsibility for his actions. He is painfully aware of the devastating consequences of his driving.
“He wishes to apologies to the family of Mr Taylor. His only brother was killed in a road accident in Lithuania 10 years ago. He carries overwhelming guilt for what he has done and is unable to explain why he failed to see Mr Taylor who was crossing the road.
“It was dark and Mr Taylor was dressed all in black, however, the accused was not paying sufficient attention and accelerated too quickly at the lights.”
The High Court in Glasgow heard that Mr Taylor , who had injured his ribs in a fall earlier that day, had been crossing with the green man, When the lights changed he was still slowly crossing the road.
Rutkovskij, who had been waiting at the lights, sped off and collided with Mr Taylor.
The Lithuanian, who came to Scotland for a better life for his family, told a witness: “I did not see him”.
Rutkovskij admitted causing death by dangerous driving.
The court heard Mr Taylor, who lived in the city's Gallowgate, had lost his wife a month earlier and had suffered dizzy spells and falls which were believed to to be caused by the stress of her death.
He was heading home after seeing a relative off at a train station.
The court heard that Mr Taylor was thrown onto the bonnet by the impact and died from head and chest injuries.