AN electronics engineer who killed a Canadian tourist in a horror crash has been jailed for three years.

Andrew File, 42, caused the death of Murielle Vaillant, 57, from Quebec, by driving carelessly on the A701 road near Tweedsmuir in the Scottish Borders on May 30, 2012.

His car veered onto the wrong side of the road and struck a Peugeot car being driven by her husband, 61-year-old Louis Vaillant.

The crash caused Mr Vaillant's car to leave the road, and it ended up on the verge.

Mrs Vaillant died at the scene.

Yesterday at the High Court in Glasgow judge Lady Rae told File: "It is clear from the evidence that you were in a hurry to get to your destination. You must have deliberately crossed the central line. Why you did that no one will ever know."

Lady Rae also banned File from driving for five years.

File, of Sleaford, Lincolnshire, was convicted of causing death by careless driving.

File originally faced a charge of causing death by dangerous driving, but a jury convicted him of the lesser charge.

File was travelling to Scotland in a Dodge Caliber when the crash took place.

Mr Vaillant, a businessman who lives near Ottawa was driving south with his wife of 35 years after a visit to St Andrews, Fife.

In evidence he said File's car struck his car without warning. He said he immediately noticed his wife was dead and added: "I touched her face and she was gone."

Defence QC Derek Ogg told the court: "Mr File has no memory of the lead-up to the accident.

"He is devastated and haunted by the accident and has suffered depression and has considered suicide."