Three-day drug spree AFTER death drive

Published on Wednesday 12 September 2007 11:58

HIT-AND-RUN killer Daniel Jackson pawned his wife's jewellery and went on a three-day drugs binge after mowing down four-year-old Olivia Donachie.

Police today revealed how the heroin addict fled to his home town of Dalkeith following the crash which left Olivia dead and her mother Rachel horrifically injured.

Jackson was arrested three days later at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary after turning himself in with slashed wrists.

Detectives today told how they believed the 31-year-old had faked a suicide attempt in a bid to attract "sympathy" from the authorities.

At the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday, unemployed father-of-three Jackson admitted the culpable homicide of the Bonaly Nursery School pupil on May 30 this year.

He had been high on drugs and driving "like a maniac" as he lost control of his speeding Jeep Cherokee and ploughed into Olivia and her mother as they walked home from nursery just yards from the family's home in Redford Drive, Colinton.

After fleeing the scene of the crash, Jackson took refuge in the homes of friends in Dalkeith, who supplied him with drugs. He is believed to have gone on shoplifting raids to fund the massive binge.

Detective Inspector Calum Swinton said: "Immediately after the crash, Jackson fled back to his flat in the Grassmarket. Along with his wife, he visited a pawn shop in Lauriston Place and sold jewellery to pay for more drugs. He went to Dalkeith where he stayed with friends who kept him supplied with drugs."

Police had received intelligence that he was hiding out in the area and they visited his associates in a bid to find him. It was only when Jackson turned himself in at hospital with cut wrists that he was detained.

Det Insp Swinton said: "He admitted that he did not want to kill himself. He thought he would be treated with more sympathy if he appeared suicidal over what he had done.

"When I was dealing with him you could see there was a degree of shock that he had killed a child. I don't want to paint him as completely hard-hearted. There was sorrow for the young girl's death but there was a lot more sorrow for himself."

The court heard that Jackson was driving a Jeep Cherokee that was effectively a death trap on the day he killed Olivia. An expert examined the vehicle after the fatal crash said the brakes were in the worst state he had ever seen.

Lord Menzies deferred sentence on Jackson, who has previous convictions and served three years for assault and robbery, until October 9 at the High Court in Glasgow for background and psychiatric reports.

David Ness who was a passenger in Jackson's Jeep at the time of the crash was never charged by police and was said in court to have assisted them in their inquiries.

Mr Swinton welcomed Jackson's guilty plea and said the family were pleased that they now had a better understanding of what had happened that day.