A drug-driver has been convicted of killing a nurse who was cycling to his night shift at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary during the pandemic. Douglas Toshack, 51, was more than double the legal limit for cannabis when he struck James Harrison with his truck in June 2020.
Mr Harrison, a 36-year-old research nurse, had volunteered in the intensive care unit to support the Covid-19 response. He died later that day at the hospital where he worked. The father-of-two was also an official for Scottish Athletics and an athlete and team manager at Corstorphine AAC.
Toshack, of Kelty in Fife, had 5.1 microgrammes of cannabis per litre of blood, exceeding the legal limit of two microgrammes. He admitted smoking cannabis the night before the collision and said he had been taking the drug for 30 years. He told the court he had not seen Mr Harrison and was 'completely bewildered' afterwards.
The jury found Toshack guilty of causing death by driving without due care and attention, and of driving while over the legal limit for cannabis. He had originally been charged with causing death by dangerous driving. The court heard he failed to pay attention at a junction in Edinburgh, turning right into Mr Harrison's path. The cyclist shouted 'whoa whoa whoa' moments before the impact.
Prosecutor David Dickson submitted a victim impact statement from Mr Harrison's wife and two children. Judge Lord Sandison deferred sentence for a background report and refused bail, warning Toshack he was likely to receive a prison sentence.
