Man killed mum after losing control of car during test drive

A man has admitting killing a mum walking in the street through dangerous driving. Ian Stalker was the Subaru Impreza when he hit Connie McAvoy, 46, near Cowglen Golf Club in Thornliebank, East Renfrewshire on December 14 2020.

The speeding 36 year-old lost control of the motor, mounted the pavement before he "sheared" a bus stop pole from the ground.

Connie - who had headphones on and her back to traffic - was then struck and flung onto the roof of the car.

Stalker eventually came to crashing halt after ploughing into a metal fence.

He now faces a lengthy jail-term after pleading guilty to a charge of causing death by dangerous driving at the High Court in Glasgow.

Prosecutor John Macpherson told how Stalker had agreed with a man to buy his Subaru for £5,000 if he could take it for a test drive.

He was then in the motor with a friend as various witnesses described him going at speed and undertaking other cars.

Mr Macpherson said Stalker went on to "suddenly lose control" on Barrhead Road near the golf club.

The Subaru mounted the kerb and then smashed into the bus stop pole.

The advocate depute: "Moments later, the car collided with Connie McAvoy, who it seems was walking with her back to the Subaru and with her headphones in.

"The force of impact threw her first onto the bonnet then against the windscreen and onto the roof before being thrown back onto the pavement."

A woman immediately helped Connie and gave her CPR.

The mum was soon rushed to hospital, but sadly never recovered.

She was found to have suffered "multiple injuries".

Judge Lord Clark was shown photos of the badly damaged Subaru and the aftermath of the incident.

Crash investigators found Stalker, of the city's Pollok, had lost control of the car and had been driving in excess of the 40mph limit.

The motor had carried on after hitting Connie before smacking into a fence and a tree.

Mr Macpherson: "The investigators concluded the responsibility for the collision lay with the driver."

The court was told Stalker had 27 previous convictions with two for driving offences.

Stalker was remanded in custody pending sentencing at a later date.

After the hearing, Connie's family described the death as "tragic and avoidable".

In a statement released via Digby Brown Solicitors, they said: "All who were close to her miss her dearly and cannot describe the pain we feel from her absence.

"That driver inflicted a pain on our family in ways that cannot be reflected in any criminal verdict or sentence.

"Our lives will simply never be the same."

Hear the latest news on Clyde 1 on FM, DAB, smart speaker or the Rayo app.