Van driver is jailed despite family plea

Thursday 18 October 2012

A VAN driver who smashed head on into a pensioners' car while trying to overtake a lorry in the dark has been jailed for two years – despite a plea for leniency from his victims' family.

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Sarah Stewart, 77, from Moffat, died in the collision on the A701 Dumfries to Edinburgh road and her husband, George, then 78, was seriously injured.

At the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday judge Lord Boyd was shown testimonials for Edward Beckley – including a letter from Mr Stewart's nephew, Andrew Dick. Mr Dick wrote that Beckley, 27, of Bathgate, had made "a wrong judgment call" but had showed integrity after the accident and no purpose would be served by sending him to prison.

Lord Boyd told Beckley: "That letter says much about the family's capacity for forgiveness."Possibly of more importance from my point of view is that your integrity and sincerity has impressed the family."But the judge said, at the end of the day, Beckley's conduct had caused the death of Mrs Stewart.Beckley was also banned from driving for four years.

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Van driver is jailed despite family plea

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