A RELATIVE of a nurse who was killed by a learner driver as he tried to evade police during a car chase has branded his sentence of six years “a sick joke”.
Dylan Jenkin, 18, had no insurance and was driving a Ford Ka he bought on Gumtree for £40 when he fatally injured mother-of-one Jill Pirrie as she walked home from work.
The crash took place in Edinburgh in May after Jenkin lost control of his car on a bend.
Read more: Teenager convicted after car chase killed nurse who was on her way home from work
Ms Pirrie, 33, was thrown against a wall, suffering fractured ribs and severe head and chest injuries. She died later that day.
Jenkin pled guilty to causing Ms Pirrie’s death by driving dangerously.
Passing sentence, judge Lord McEwan told Jenkin: “On May 12, you and one of your friends bought a car for £40 on the Gumtree internet site. The vehicle was uninsured and registered as off the road.
“The state of the car and the manner of driving attracted the attention of the police, who pursued you in a marked police car, signalling you to stop.
“You did not stop but evaded the police and drove off at a high and excessive speed. This was seen by several witnesses and, for a brief time, the police lost sight of your car.
“An unmitigated tragedy was about to unfold. Jill Pirrie never got home and now her family and colleagues will never see her alive again.”
Read more: Teenager convicted after car chase killed nurse who was on her way home from work
Ms Pirrie’s sister in-law, who did not wish to be named, said in a statement: “Six years for taking a young life is not my idea of justice, it’s a sick joke. As far as I’m concerned that is an insult to Jill’s family, friends and colleagues.
“Jill dedicated her career to care for others. It’s a disgrace that our legal system didn’t care for her.”
Ms Pirrie had just finished her shift at Royal Infirmary, near her home, when she was fatally injured.
Paramedics who treated her at the scene found she was in cardiac arrest and had injuries to the right side of her chest, right leg and pelvic area.
Ms Pirrie was taken to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, where colleagues were unable to save her life.
Prosecution lawyer Alex Prentice, QC, told the court two police officers saw Jenkin driving the Ford Ka on the evening and checked the Police National Computer because they were suspicious about the vehicle. They signalled Jenkin to stop but he sped away with police in pursuit.
Jenkin then lost control of the car, which skidded across a junction and struck Ms Pirrie from behind. While pedestrians went to her aid, Jenkin ran from the scene and didn’t give himself up for another day.
Read more: Teenager convicted after car chase killed nurse who was on her way home from work
Mr Prentice told the court: “On the morning of May 14, while the accused was being treated, he was asked if he knew why the police were present. He indicated it was because of the crash and admitted involvement.
“He broke down, started crying and repeatedly said ‘I didn’t mean to kill her’. He acknowledged the police had been behind him when he was driving the car. He maintained the brakes had failed.
“Road traffic collision investigators examined the vehicle and found no defects that would have caused or contributed to the collision.”
Read more: Teenager convicted after car chase killed nurse who was on her way home from work
Mr Prentice added Ms Pirrie was “a much-loved mother, daughter and partner who leaves behind her five-year-old son Matthew, who is now in the full-time custody of his father”.
As well as ordering Jenkin, from Edinburgh, to spend six years in detention, Lord McEwan banned him from driving for seven years.
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