TikTok creator guilty of killing woman by dangerous driving

Leigh Sutherland has often posted TikTok videos detailing his interest in the criminal justice system

A man who has often posed as a lawyer on TikTok has been found guilty of killing an elderly woman in a crash.

Leigh Sutherland, 31, was speeding in a car with defective brakes when he smashed into a Peugeot 108 driven by Margaret Allan in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire.

The 77-year-old was badly injured and died three weeks later. A young boy, who was her passenger, was also taken to hospital after the collision in June 2023.

Sutherland was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving after a trial at the High Court in Glasgow, and was remanded in custody pending sentence.

The TikTok creator is known for posting bizarre videos which often feature him pretending to be a defence lawyer or dressing up as a police officer.

His clips use various spellings of his name.

Sutherland was driving his Ford Mondeo at a minimum of 44mph in a 40mph zone around the time of the incident on the Condorrat ring road.

But the trial heard he was likely to have been going faster when he started braking.

Other motorists in the area that day had commented at how fast he had been going.

Margaret Allan was badly injured and died three weeks after the crash

A police officer who was in the area became aware of a collision in his rear view mirror and drove back to discover the badly damaged Peugeot 208.

PC Lawrence Meldrum said the female driver was bleeding from a head wound and seemed "confused and dazed". She died three weeks later.

Sutherland was spotted walking away, saying he needed time to clear his head.

When the officer caught up with him, he swore and blamed Ms Allan for the crash.

An investigation later found that the anti-lock brakes on Sutherland's 12-year-old car were not working properly and the battery was not adequately secured.

Prosecutor Adrian Stalker said his driving had been dangerous and was "not just a lack of judgement or momentary inattention".

He added the accused was "going far too fast" in what was described as a "defective" car.

Sutherland, from Cumbernauld, had previously been on bail, but was remanded in custody as the case was adjourned for pre-sentencing reports.

Sgt Andy Coutts said: "Sutherland's actions showed a blatant disregard for other road users and the law, and since the incident he has showed no remorse."