'Show-off' driver who killed girl, 15 is jailed for 30 months

Published on 03/07/2009 22:20

A NEWLY-QUALIFIED teenage driver who caused the death of a schoolgirl passenger as he "showed off" to her was sentenced to 30 months' detention yesterday.

Scott Manson, now 20, lost control of his car at a bend and hit a lamppost after overtaking another young driver at speed. Abigail Simpson, 15, one of five others in his Ford Fiesta, suffered fatal injuries.

At the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday, Lord Pentland told Manson, of Castletown, Caithness: "It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that you gave in to temptation to show off. Regrettably, you chose to disregard much of what you must have been taught when learning to drive very shortly before the accident."

The judge was told that Manson was a quiet, sensitive person who had never been in any kind of trouble before and would be haunted for the rest of his life by what he had done.

Lord Pentland said he accepted there were strong mitigating factors, but only a custodial term, if significantly shorter than would otherwise have been imposed, could adequately mark the dangerous and irresponsible nature of his driving.

"Young and inexperienced drivers must appreciate that dangerous driving, of the type in this case, gives rise to serious risk to public safety, and it is the duty of the court to discourage such irresponsible conduct," he said.

Manson was banned from driving for seven years, and ordered to resit his test.

He had passed the test, aged 18, only three days before the accident in October 2007 in Main Street, Castletown.

Manson was convicted by a jury of causing Abigail's death by dangerous driving.