Drunken death-crash driver gets six years

Published on Saturday 22 May 2010 04:35

A DRIVER jailed for six years for killing a pensioner after mounting the pavement in his van had one of the highest blood alcohol levels recorded in Scotland.

John McManus, of Bellshill, admitted killing Philip Taylor, 78, in Motherwell, Lanarkshire, in December 2008.

McManus, 42, failed to stop after mounting the pavement in his hired Citron Berlingo and striking the man. When he was pulled over by police, they noticed his speech was slurred. They found a quarter bottle of vodka in his pocket.

McManus, a courier, pleaded guilty last month to causing Mr Taylor's death on 1 December, 2008 by driving without due care and attention. He also admitted failing to stop after the accident and failing to report it.

The court heard he gave a reading of 173g of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35. He had stopped drinking three hours before he began his rounds, the court heard, so his alcohol levels would have been higher at the time of the accident.

Judge Lord Matthews heard how McManus, who owned and operated a courier firm, had been delivering parcels on the day in question with a colleague.

Around lunchtime, McManus was said to have complained of feeling unwell and he went home, intending to take a rest.

Shortly afterwards, McManus told his colleague in a phone call: "I think I've killed somebody." The call was cut off, but in a later phone call McManus added: "I don't know what to do."

McManus claimed Mr Taylor, from New Stevenston, had stepped out in front of him and hit his head off the windscreen.

But crash investigators found that McManus travelled along the pavement in Coronation Road for 11 metres before he hit Mr Taylor, the judge was told. The victim was struck on his lower legs and spun around, causing his head to hit the windscreen.

Mr Taylor sustained a brain injury which caused his death.

Lord Matthews said the family of the "much-loved" husband of 49 years had been left devastated by his death.

Addressing McManus at Livingston Sheriff Court, the judge told him no sentence could undo the harm he had caused Mr Taylor's loved ones.

He jailed McManus for six years and banned him from driving for ten years.

Lord Matthews said McManus was about five times the alcohol limit when tested but the level would have been higher when he set off in his van.

"I have seen and considered victim impact statements from members of that family and they are naturally devastated," he told McManus. "I have no doubt that you are devastated by what you have done, but it pales into insignificance beside the consequences visited on Mr Taylor and his loved ones.

"I respectfully agree with your counsel that this case is at a high level of gravity, although no sentence I can impose can undo the harm you did or provide any degree of consolation to Mr Taylor's family and friends."