Driver jailed over motorcyclist’s death

Russell Dickson, 30, caused the death of Graham Rowe, 38, in Saltoun Hall, East Lothian, in August 2010, Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard.

Dickson, of Port Seton, pulled out of a junction of an unmarked road onto the B6355 Pencaitland to East Saltoun Road in East Lothian without stopping.

The court heard he had been hailed a hero for his part in tackling a fire in February 2010.

He was travelling at least 30 miles per hour and failed to see the dad of two coming along the road.

The motorcyclist collided with Dickson’s Volkswagen car and Graham sustained serious injuries which he later died from.

The tragic story emerged last month after Dickson, of Port Seton, pleaded guilty to death by dangerous driving charges and driving without insurance charges before Sheriff Alistair Noble. But the one time hero was told that custody was the only option open to the court.

He also disqualified him from driving for 18 months and ordered Dickson to re sit his test upon his release from prison.

Admonishing him on the driving without insurance charge, Sheriff Noble said: “It is obvious from what I have read that Mr Rowe was much loved as a husband, father and son and his death has brought considerable devestation upon a number of lives.

“No sentence I can pass can compensate or punish for that suffering. Nothing I can do can bring Mr Rowe back. “

At the earlier hearing, members of Mr Rowe’s family wept as they listened to how their loved one died.

Depute fiscal Ian Wallace told the court how the accident took place on August 15 last year when Dickson was driving along an unmarked country road.

Mr Wallace said that as he approached the junction with the B635 road, Dickson failed to slow down at a give way sign at the junction and drove straight onto the highway.

He collided with Mr Rowe, a plant hire firm manager, who was driving along the road on his bike.

The court heard how Dickson had “minimum recollection” of the day in question.

He thought he was doing at least 10 to 15 miles per hour at the time of the accident.

He claimed that as he turned onto the junction, he looked both ways and couldn’t see anybody coming along the road.

Gail Hamilton, who was Dickson’s passenger at the time of the crash, sustained broken ribs in the collision and was taken to hospital for treatment.

Defence solicitor Colm Dempsey said Dickson didn’t dispute the expert evidence provided by police that he was driving at least 30 miles per hour at the time of the collision.

Mr Dempsey said the crash had a “traumatic” effect on his client but was sorry for causing Mr Rowe to lose his life.

Mr Dempsey also revealed that Dickson had won an award from the Society For the Protection of Life for his role in tackling a blaze in Port Seton in 2010.