Father who killed Fife couple in head-on crash jailed
George Murphy will spend seven and a half years behind bars
A driver who killed a couple on holiday in a head-on crash has been jailed for seven and a half years.
George Murphy caused the crash after overtaking three vehicles and then trying to get past a bus on the A85 in Argyll on March 31, 2023.
Neither Martin nor Josephine Cousland, of Anstruther, Fife, survived after their Audi Q2 was struck.
They had set off for a holiday in the west coast.
Murphy's two sons - who were passengers in his Ford Mondeo - were also badly hurt.
The-52-year-old - who already had a history of road traffic offences – had earlier pleaded guilty to a charge of causing the deaths and serious injury by dangerous driving at the High Court in Glasgow.
Judge Lord Arthurson said described the Couslands as a "vigorous and extremely popular couple".
"They loved life and lived it to the full," he told Murphy. "Your criminal actions robbed them and their loved ones of a future together.
"Their daughters lost both their parents simultaneously in a moment.
"Putting matters bluntly, on that fateful day, your time was more important to you than the lives and welfare of any of your fellow road users."
The Couslands' daughters, Penelope and Zoe, said no sentence would “bring back” their parents.
In a statement, they said: "Due to the legal processes, we have been deprived of anything more than the mere basic facts of what happened until the plea hearing in November.
"We would urge those in power to consider changes to legislation to care better for grieving families and bystanders of road traffic offences.
"Every day we mourn the loss of our fun, loving and kind parents, who have been victims of such a senseless crime."
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