A reckless drink-driver who caused the death of a teenager, who texted 'I may not survive tonight' while in his car, has been sentenced to eight years in prison. Erin Slane, 19, was a passenger in a vehicle driven by Kyle Patrick, which crashed into a field in Perthshire on 1 September 2024 after he drove at 'grossly excessive speeds.'
Teenager's final message
The court previously heard that she had messaged friends during the journey saying: 'I may not survive tonight. I'm scared. Kyle is steaming.' Patrick, 23, pleaded guilty at an earlier court hearing to causing her death by dangerous driving and inflicting serious injury on another passenger.
He admitted repeatedly driving at 'grossly excessive speeds' en route to Gowrie Farm in Perthshire, losing control of the car, which veered onto the opposite lane, descended an embankment, struck a fence and rolled over multiple times in a field.
Crash details and injuries
Ms Slane sustained such severe injuries that she died at the scene, while fellow passenger Keira Jones was seriously injured. Lord Harrower handed down an eight-year prison sentence to Patrick when he appeared for sentencing at the High Court in Glasgow on Wednesday.
He stated that the incident was 'no mere lapse of judgment' on Patrick's part and that he had shown a 'prolonged and deliberate course of driving at grossly excessive speeds while impaired through alcohol.'
Judge's remarks
The judge said: 'Erin was 19, about to start university and had her whole life ahead of her.' He stated that Patrick's actions had caused 'terrible devastation' to the family, adding: 'No sentence of this court can alleviate their anguish.'
As part of his plea, Patrick confessed to driving while his ability to do so was impaired due to alcohol consumption. The 23-year-old, from Scone, Perthshire, also admitted to pulling up at a taxi rank in Perth that day and offering to drive people home.
