Driver, 68, jailed for 4 years over fatal crash

A DRIVER who killed a teacher after claiming he was distracted by a “swooping buzzard” has been jailed for four years.

Clifford Dickson caused a fatal crash after overtaking on a blind bend on the A816 Lochgilphead to Oban road in August 2010.

The 68-year-old ploughed head-on into a Subaru in which Christine Beard was a back-seat passenger.

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Mrs Beard – who was holidaying with her family – died weeks later in hospital.

Dickson returned to the dock yesterday after earlier being convicted of causing death by dangerous driving. His QC asked for the pensioner not to be locked up, claiming Dickson’s disabled son was “hugely dependent” on his father.

But Lord McEwan said there was no alternative to a prison term for what he described as a “very serious piece of driving”.

The trial at the High Court in Glasgow heard that Mrs Beard, husband Paul, and daughter Laura, her partner and child were visiting Scotland from their home in Nottinghamshire. Mr Beard, a retired teacher, told the jury: “I heard a shout and I saw a car coming towards us on our side of the road.

“It just carried on coming straight towards us and hit us.”

Mrs Beard, 55, was airlifted to Glasgow for surgery to her abdomen and bowel. She initially appeared to be recovering, but died on 2 September.

The court heard that Laura suffered multiple injuries, including a broken spine, and has limited mobility.

Dickson, of Tarbert, Argyllshire, claimed a “swooping buzzard” had affected his driving of the Kia 4x4 prior to the crash.

He told the trial: “I thought this thing was going to crash into my windscreen.”

But Beverley White, who believed Dickson was overtaking her that day, told the jury she did not see any birds at the time.

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