RELATIVES of a cyclist knocked off his bike and killed 26 years ago have urged a lengthy jail sentence to be handed down to a motorist responsible for the recent death of an elderly woman in a similar incident.
Student George Dalgity, 22, who had won a place at an American university, died from his injuries after being struck by Gary McCourt's car in Edinburgh in October 1985.
McCourt was jailed for two years after being convicted of causing Mr Dalgity's death by dangerous driving.
Earlier this month he was found guilty by a jury of causing 75-year-old Audrey Fyfe's death by careless driving in August 2011. He is due for sentencing on May 3.
The pensioner was hit by McCourt's car at the junction of Portobello Road and Craigentinny Avenue in Edinburgh.
Mrs Fyfe, from Joppa, Edinburgh, died two days later.
McCourt admitted he had clipped the cyclist's rear wheel, but claimed it was an accident.
The incident took place just a mile from the scene of Mr Dalgity's death almost 26 years earlier. He suffered massive injuries after McCourt knocked him off his bike in Regent Road in the early hours of the morning.
Mr Dalgity's sister, Ann, said: "We do believe he should receive a very stiff sentence this time around. That's two people he has killed through careless driving. We don't want there to be a third and it would seem he didn't learn his lesson."
She added: "I remember hearing about Audrey Fyfe on the radio and feeling terribly sorry for her family, but also for the driver. When I discovered who it was, I stopped feeling that.
"We were devastated by George's death. It took me years to even talk about it. The fact that the same person has now taken the life of another cyclist has brought it all flooding back."
She said the family's letter to Sheriff James Scott, who is due to sentence McCourt, will remind him of the severity of his previous offence.
She added: "We want to make the roads safer for everyone. A long jail sentence would, we hope, make others think twice about careless driving. It's not just an accident. We're still living it".
Mr Dalgity had been accepted to study for a PhD at Ohio State University. He was cycling to see his girlfriend at around 1am when McCourt smashed into him, throwing him to the side of the road.
He suffered extensive head, back and limb injuries. His brain stem was damaged and he never regained consciousness.
McCourt is thought to have only served about eight months of his two-year sentence.
George's mother, Liz, 80, said: "It never leaves you. It becomes part of your life.
"We don't want vengeance or to be vindictive, but it seems to us this man has no remorse for what he's done, twice now, or he would have pleaded guilty and not put another family through a trial."
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