A father has told a fatal accident inquiry that he still suffers nightmares over the death of his son, who died alongside his partner after a car crash on the M9 in 2015. John Yuill, 28, and Lamara Bell, 25, lay undiscovered in their vehicle for three days despite a member of the public reporting the crash to police.
Gordon Yuill, giving evidence at Falkirk Sheriff Court, said his son was denied 'dignity in death'. He reported his son missing on the evening of Sunday 5 July 2015, after last seeing him the previous evening when he left for a camping trip. During the call, Mr Yuill asked if his son was in custody due to an outstanding warrant for a minor breach of the peace.
The call handler began a missing person report. Mr Yuill said his son's disappearance was 'totally out of character' and expressed concern he had had an accident. He described his son as 'very loving' and 'hardworking', a 'normal family man' close to his mother. The following afternoon, he sent police a photo of the blue Renault Clio and a picture of Ms Bell.
In a statement read to the inquiry, Mr Yuill said: 'I know John died quickly, however, he still lay there for three days. Lamara, to my mind, could have been saved if she had been found on Sunday July 5. I still have nightmares about it.' He confirmed this remained his position.
An apology from former Police Scotland chief constable Sir Stephen House was read, acknowledging an 'individual failure' in the service. The statement noted that a call from a member of the public on 5 July was answered but not entered into the police system. A second call on 8 July led to the discovery of the couple. The inquiry is expected to last six weeks.
