Drug-Driver Jailed for Two Years after Killing Cyclist in Edinburgh Crash
Douglas Toshack was more than twice the legal limit for driving with Cannabis.
A man who killed a nurse - whilst driving more than twice the limit for driving with Cannabis - has been jailed for 2 years.
Douglas Toshack knocked James Harrison from his bike on Gilmerton road in June 2020.
The 36 year old father of two was en route to work at the Royal infirmary - where he’d volunteered in intensive care to support the Covid response.
Last month the court heard Toshack had used Cannabis for the past 30 years, and was more than twice the legal limit at the time of the crash.
The 51 year old’s lawyer - speaking ahead of sentencing at the High court in Edinburgh - said Toshack was “completely devastated by what has happened”, but due to a “minimal risk of reoffending” argued that community service would be more appropriate than a custodial sentence. Judge Sandison however, stressed “a man is dead” and that Douglas Toshack’s actions had also exposed other road users to risk that day..
The Judge said it was important to “send out a signal”, making it clear that driving under the influence of drugs could cause “unimaginable harm”, and that the court should “do all it can to deter such behaviour”.
The 51 year old - from Kelty - will spend two years in prison, and has been disqualified from driving for 8 years.