Caithness Drink Driver Jailed For Four Years

A convicted drink driver admitted having "a couple of drams" then getting behind the wheel of his pick-up and smashing head-on into a bus killing the driver.

At the High Court in Glasgow today, 33-year-old Andrew Sinclair was jailed for four years for causing the death of bus driver William Davison by dangerous driving while impaired by alcohol on the Wick to Thurso road on April 1, 2013.

Judge Lord Armstrong also banned tenant farmer Sinclair, of Rosewell, Newtonhill, Caithness, from driving for six years and eight months.

Defence counsel Barry Smith said that Sinclair had the equivalent of two or three bar measures at 6pm and did not leave for home until 9pm.

Mr Smith said: "Had he felt affected by drink he would not have have driven. He accepts he made a serious error of judgement."

The level of alcohol in Sinclair's blood is not known because he could not be tested after the accident due to his injuries, but Lord Armstrong told him: "Even taking small quantities of alcohol undermines the ability to concentrate on the road.

"The manner of your driving caused a substantial risk to other road users."

Referring to Sinclair conviction for drink driving in 2005, Lord Armstrong said: "I can only assume you failed to learn from that experience."

Sinclair was told that if he had been found guilty after trial he would have been jailed for six years.

Lord Armstrong added: "I recognise you are a respected member of your community, have not previously been sent to prison and your risk of re-offending is low, however there is no alternative to a custodial sentence."

The court heard that Sinclair, who had been at a cattle auction, lost control of his pickup, swerved onto the wrong side of the road and ploughed into a bus as he drove home.

After the auction he had a whisky with John Bremner, the auctioneer, which amounted to "two to three bar measures" and three hours later drove home.

The crash took place near the entrance to Thuster Mains Farm at 9.15pm. Sinclair's Ford Ranger pick-up and trailer swerved across the road into the path of the oncoming bus.

The force of the collision resulted in the bus stopping almost immediately and its rear end was forced up into the air.

The three passengers on the bus were thrown towards the front.

Sixty-three-year-old Mr Davison - who was known as Les - from Watten was thrown forwards and suffered horrific head injuries. The dad-of-one was just 24 days away from retiring.

Sinclair, who suffered multiple injuries including fractures to his ribs, hands and legs, had to be cut free from the wreckage. He was airlifted to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.

A doctor treating him there at 11.58pm could smell alcohol from Sinclair and she asked him in he had had any alcohol and he replied: "a couple of drams."

Mr Smith said that Sinclair had no memory of the moments before or after the accident and added: "His first memory is of waking up in hospital."