A disqualified driver who drove a stolen Maserati into a garden and caused the death of an elderly man has been sentenced to more than 13 years in prison.
John Bell, 74, suffered what were described as "non-survivable injuries" after being struck by the vehicle and crushed against the wall of a property in Broughty Ferry, near Dundee, on April 13.
Guilty plea and sentencing
Fraser Garden, 55, pleaded guilty to causing Mr Bell's death by dangerous driving at a hearing at the High Court in Edinburgh last month. He also admitted stealing a motor vehicle, driving without insurance, driving while disqualified, and refusing to provide a blood sample for drug testing.
Garden was sentenced to 13 years and six months when he appeared before the court on Friday. Lord Baird, who also banned Garden from driving for more than 56 years, described his conduct as being of the "utmost severity".
Court statements and details of the crash
Lord Baird said: "From the moment you drove away from the garage, you demonstrated wicked disregard for the lives of others. No sentence this court can impose can possibly hope to make up for the loss Mr Bell's family and friends have suffered."
The court had earlier heard that Garden entered a car dealership in Broughty Ferry during the early afternoon of April 13 and made off with a high-powered Maserati from the forecourt. He drove the vehicle at speeds exceeding 80mph through a residential area, nearly three times the 30mph speed limit.
Garden also ran a red light, drove on the wrong side of the road, and overtook vehicles into the path of oncoming traffic. He lost control of the car on a bend at the junction of Forthill Road and Nursery Road, less than 750 metres from the showroom.
Impact and background
He clipped a kerb, hit a traffic island, and then ploughed through a hedge into a garden where Mr Bell was carrying out work for a neighbour. The front of the vehicle struck the former taxi driver before pinning him against the wall of the property.
Prosecutor Graeme Jessop KC told the court that Garden had been travelling at 85mph just 3.3 seconds before the collision. The car was still travelling at 34mph when it struck the house. When police arrested Garden on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, he said: "Sorry."
Garden had 90 previous convictions, including "numerous" motoring offences, and had been subject to three separate driving bans on the day of the incident. The court heard that Mr Bell had three children, 10 adult grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Mr Jessop told the court that on the day of the incident, Garden had spotted the unlocked Maserati while wandering through West End Garage. The vehicle belonged to the garage's director. The 523-brake horsepower car was capable of going from 0-60mph in 4.6 seconds, with a top speed of 193mph.
