Golf charity bash driver faces jail for death crash

A MOTORIST who fell asleep as he drove home from a charity golf event caused a man’s death in a multiple car crash, a court has heard.

James Moran, 60, was injured and taken to hospital. But medical staff smelled alcohol from Moran, a sales consultant from Menstrie, Clackmannanshire. A blood test found him to be over the legal alcohol limit.

He admitted causing the death of Peter Harper, 44, a father of two, of Sauchie, Clackmannanshire, by dangerous driving on the A876 just north of the Clackmannanshire Bridge on 5 August last year.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard Moran set off at 6am on 4 August to drive himself and a friend about 250 miles to Manchester to take part in a charity golf event. The journey took around four hours. They played golf until 6pm and attended a dinner, presentation and auction, before going to bed in a hotel.

The friend recalled being wakened by Moran who asked if he wanted to go home. He felt as if he had just got to sleep, but agreed. He slept on the journey north, and was dropped off at his home in West Lothian. Moran continued in his Mercedes Vito van and crossed the Clackmannanshire Bridge about 7:40am.

Advocate-depute Kath Harper said the van drifted across the carriageway and forced a car travelling in the same direction to swerve out of the way on to the grass verge. The driver noticed Moran “had his chin on his chest and his head was moving with the motion of the van”.

The van moved into the southbound lane and hit an MG car. The van next struck Mr Harper’s Vauxhall Astra. He was on his way to work as a site manager in Broxburn, West Lothian. Both vehicles flew into the air, and the car landed on the bonnet of a following Kia car before coming to rest on a crash barrier.

Judge Lord Turnbull remanded Moran in custody for sentencing next month and said a jail term was inevitable.