Italian tourist sentenced for causing the deaths of five people, including his four-year-old son in A96 crash

A 50-year-old Italian tourist has been jailed for three years after being found guilty of death by careless driving after he drifted into oncoming traffic, causing the deaths of five people, including his four-year-old son.

Alfredo Ciociola was sentenced at the High Court in Livingston after having been found guilty of causing the deaths of Audrey Appleby, Edward Reid, Evalyn Collie, Frances Saliba and Lorenzo Ciociola four years ago.

Frederico Ciociola, Francesco Patane, Concetta Passanisi, Morag Mary Smith, and Alfredo Ciociola were all injured in the incident with Concetta Passanisi’s injuries initially described as life threatening in the incident that took place on 26 July 2018 on the A96 Huntly to Keith Road.

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The court heard that Ciociola had hired a white Fiat Talento 9-seater minibus to drive from Edinburgh to Inverness with his partner Concetta, his two young boys Lorenzo and Frederico and his friend Francesco and partner Frances.

Alfredo Ciociola was sentenced at the High Court in Livingston after having been found guilty of causing the deaths of Audrey Appleby, Edward Reid, Evalyn Collie, Frances Saliba and Lorenzo Ciociola four years ago.Alfredo Ciociola was sentenced at the High Court in Livingston after having been found guilty of causing the deaths of Audrey Appleby, Edward Reid, Evalyn Collie, Frances Saliba and Lorenzo Ciociola four years ago.
Alfredo Ciociola was sentenced at the High Court in Livingston after having been found guilty of causing the deaths of Audrey Appleby, Edward Reid, Evalyn Collie, Frances Saliba and Lorenzo Ciociola four years ago.

At about 11.50pm, on the road near to the Drummuir junction, Alfredo Ciociola drifted into the southbound lane directly in front of Morag’s Smith’s orange Nissan X-Trail killing her friends and passengers Edward Reid, Evalyn Collie and Audrey Appleby.

Prosecutors pursued Ciociola’s extradition from Sicily after he did not appear for trial in August 2021. He contested the extradition but returned to Scotland this year and was sentenced and disqualified from driving in the UK for 10 years.

Crash victim Morag Smith welcomed the jail term. In a statement released through Digby Brown Solicitors she said: “Although I am surprised by the sentence I am welcome it.

“However it also strange because in reality the damage is done and the length of time Ciociola spends behind bars makes no real impact on my day-to-day life.

A short segment of dashcam footage showing the road and conditions as a witness overtakes Ciociola’s minibusA short segment of dashcam footage showing the road and conditions as a witness overtakes Ciociola’s minibus
A short segment of dashcam footage showing the road and conditions as a witness overtakes Ciociola’s minibus

“I now just want to get on with rebuilding some kind of future.”

David Green, Procurator Fiscal for Homicide and Major Crime said: “This case shows the truly tragic consequences of careless and criminal driving and the devastating effect it has on so many lives.

“I would like to thank the police, our International Co-operation Unit and Italian authorities for their cooperation and commitment to the effective and fair administration of justice.

“My thoughts are with the families and friends of those who died as they try to cope with such terrible loss.”