Porsche driver to stand trial over death of passenger in rural crash

A PORSCHE driver has admitted causing a crash in rural Aberdeenshire in which his passenger died.

Douglas Calder, 38, will still have to stand trial, however, because the prosecution insists his driving was dangerous, and not just careless as he claimed.

The accident in which William Webber, 36, died occurred on 15 April last year on an unclassified road near Strichen.

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Mr Webber, of Tyrie, Aberdeenshire, was a passenger in Calder’s silver Porsche which struck a wall, overturned several times and landed in a field.

The Crown alleges that Calder, whose address was given as Santa Coloma, Andorra, the principality between France and Spain, drove at excessive speed for the road layout and conditions, and lost control.

The defence counsel, David Moggach, said much of the evidence in the case had been agreed.

“The issues are the standard of driving, whether it is careless or dangerous. There is no dispute that the accused was driving the car,” he added.

A charge of causing death by dangerous driving normally attracts a higher sentence than the lesser offence of causing death by careless driving.

Calder’s trial was set for Aberdeen in January.