Speeding teenager jailed for killing friend in road crash

A teenager who drove like "a rally driver" has been jailed for causing the death of his sixteen-year-old passenger.

Irving Gracie, 19, was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in jail for crashing his car after clocking up speeds of up to 116mph on the A75 in Galloway in February last year.

Gracie was also banned from driving for ten years.

The court heard that Gracie had been at a party drinking Buckfast when he was asked to go and pick up Mr McQueen and his friends from Annan train station.

The smash resulted in the death of sports student Daniel McQueen who died at the scene and left a third passenger Christopher McLaughlan suffering "life threatening" injuries.

Sentencing him, Judge Lord Turnbull said Daniel's death was "truly heartbreaking" and condemned the "deliberate and aggressive" way that Gracie had handled his car.

He said: "The outrageous manner in which you, as a young and inexperienced driver, chose to drive was a direct cause of the death of Daniel McQueen and the injuries to Christopher McLaughlan.

"I recognise only too well that no sentence that I can impose is capable of undoing the harm of the way that you chose to drive on February 21, 2009.

"Neither can any sentence reconcile the family to their loss or alleviate their anguish.

"It is not designed to be a measure of the McQueen family's loss, neither is it designed to be a measure of the value of a much-loved son and brother," he said, adding that the sentence imposed by the court was insignificant "in comparison to the sentence you have imposed on Daniel's sister, brother and parents".

Gracie's car was left "obliterated" after the crash with its engine, tyres and windows missing after Gracie lost control and hit two trees.

Debris from the impact spanned 67 metres north to south and 55 metres east to west.

Gracie later told police that he had been driving 50mph and had swerved to avoid a fox.

Christopher McLaughlan was thrown from the car but Mr McQueen - who was wearing a seatbelt - died from head and chest injuries.

Gracie approached the A780 Castle Douglas Road junction before losing control coming out of a dip in the road.

Mr McLaughlan went through the front windscreen of the Honda Civic Sport and Mr McQueen's head and chest were injured as the boot of the car was pushed forward.

Mr McLaughlan was taken to Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary, where he had three operations on his broken arm and leg.

Gracie was also taken to hospital where he received treatment for broken ribs and a spinal fracture.

Gracie had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to killing Daniel by dangerous driving. Dressed in black, he sat silently with his head lowered as the sentence was passed.