Driver took cocaine the day before fatal A7 crash

Christopher Lynn admitted causing death by dangerous driving

A company director had taken cocaine the day before a three-car crash in which a woman died, a court has heard.

Christopher Lynn, 32, was behind the wheel of his Ford Ranger pick-up when he drove into the back of a Vauxhall Astra driven by Yvonne Nichol.

It sent the 64-year-old's car into the path of another vehicle and she died in the crash on the A7 near Ashkirk in the Borders on 15 August 2023.

Lynn, of Dalkeith, Midlothian, admitted a charge of causing death by dangerous driving at the High Court in Glasgow and will be sentenced later this month.

A judge heard Lynn had been driving at 81mph seconds before the crash.

The court was told he had been travelling through Galashiels that day when he had to stop as he felt unwell before carrying on his journey.

He eventually ended up on the A7 going in the same direction as Ms Nichol, who was from Hawick.

Prosecutor Alan Parfery told the court: "Having ingested cocaine at an earlier time... his reactions were slow and impaired because he was in the comedown phase.

"He had consumed cocaine at some time the previous day."

Lynn was said to have been going at "excessive speed". He was found to be driving at 66mph when he hit Ms Nichol's Astra.

The victim's car then struck a Nissan Juke being driven by an elderly woman.

Yvonne Nichol died in the crash in the Borders in August 2023

After emergency services arrived at the crash scene, Ms Nichol was taken to hospital but died from her injuries.

Her front seat passenger and the driver of the Nissan were badly hurt following the incident.

Lynn was later questioned by police and insisted he could not remember anything before the crash.

An allegation that he had fallen asleep at the wheel was deleted from the charge prior to his guilty plea being accepted.

Victoria Dow, defending, had asked for Lynn's bail to be continued to sort out matters relating to the family business.

Lynn is a director of the firm - his role being in groundwork, fire protection and health and safety.

However, judge Lord Clark remanded him in custody pending sentencing on 30 October in Edinburgh.

He said the matter was a "serious crime with devastating and catastrophic consequences".