Driver given lifetime ban after serious crash
A motorist has been banned from driving for life after smashing into two pedestrians while suffering an apparent seizure.
A motorist has been banned from driving for life after smashing into two pedestrians while suffering an apparent seizure.
Hilda Lumsden-Gill was charged with dangerous driving after Pauline Thomson and Georgina Couper were seriously injured in the village crash in May 2014.
The community council chairwoman lost control of her green Jaguar X-Type before hitting a Ford Ranger pick-up truck which was parked on Huntly's Bogie Street.
She then mounted the pavement and struck Mrs Thomson, throwing her over the bonnet of the car.
The car continued to drive along the road with the mother-of-four still on top of the vehicle, before knocking over Ms Cowper who was standing on the pavement.
Mrs Thomson was airlifted to hospital suffering from a severe brain injury and fractured skull, while Ms Cowper was left with bruising to her head and body and a fractured ankle.
Lumsden-Gill was found guilty of the charge following a trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court in June, despite denying the allegations.
The 59-year-old claimed she had suffered a "complex partial seizure" - a type of epileptic episode - at the time of the collision, and had lodged the special defence of being in a state of automatism.
Sentencing her yesterday, Sheriff William Summers said he was concerned about her failure to recognise her responsibility for the accident.
He told her: "For the avoidance of doubt, this accident was your own fault, entirely your own fault and only your fault.."
The sheriff told the court that the two pedestrians had suffered life-changing injuries and were likely to be physically and emotionally scarred for the rest of their lives.
The former teacher was visibly shaking in the dock as the sheriff passed sentence, telling her that he did not believe custody was the only option available.
During the trial Mrs Lumsden-Gill told a jury that she had suffered from seizures occasionally since 1996, and that despite MRIs and scans being carried out doctors could never give her a proper diagnosis.
On three occasions between her first fit and the collision, she had voluntarily handed over her licence to the DVLA.
More than three years had passed since she had suffered an episode, although she had been seen having a "bad turn" during a community trust meeting the month before.
She told the court while giving evidence: "If I had been aware, I would have reported it to my doctor and I would not have driven.
"I would have been worried about the safety of not only myself but of the general public."
Yesterday her lawyer, Niall McCluskey said his client was a person who had lived a life of an unblemished character who had worked ceaselessly for the good of the local community.
The sheriff was handed dozens of references from residents living in the Huntly area expressing their appreciation for all her hard work as well as highlighting her devotion to her role as a teacher.
Mr McCluskey described how the modern studies teacher was so committed to her school work that she would stay up on the night of an election to fully brief pupils the following day.
He said: "She feels ashamed and feels that she has let everyone down.
"Clearly she will be disqualified from driving for a long period of time and as she said in her evidence, she intends never to drive again."
During the trial, he told the jury that the case should not be compared to the Glasgow bin lorry tragedy.
He said: "The reason there was huge public furore over Harry Clark after he crashed the bin lorry in Glasgow is because he repeatedly lied to get driving jobs. He deceived the authorities and that's why there's been public outcry."
Lumsden-Gill handed in her resignation for her role as chairwoman of Huntly Community Council after she was found guilty of dangerous driving.
She was banned from driving for life yesterday and placed on a community payback order and will have to undertake 300 hours of unpaid work as part of her sentence.