Driver who caused Livingston woman's death spared jail

David MacDonald pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving

A man who caused the death of a mother by driving on the wrong side of a busy road has been spared jail.

David MacDonald, a travelling salesman who had been driving for almost 25 years without a full licence, collided with two cars on Livingston's Cousland Road on 8 January, 2020.

Leeanne Aitken, 45, was pronounced dead at the scene. Her 19-year-old passenger was seriously injured.

MacDonald was given a 300-hour unpaid work order and banned for six years.

He was also fined £4500 for fraud, having lied about his licence to gain insurance.

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MacDonald passed his driving test in 1996 but failed to swap his provisional licence for a full one.

He told the High Court in Stirling he believed he was on a dual carriageway and that he had not seen road markings indicating he was driving on the wrong side of a two-way road.

Warnings included a white arrow facing in opposite direction, several large upside down 40mph speed limit signs on the road and road signs facing oncoming vehicles.

MacDonald told the court he had been "on autopilot".

Leeanne Aitken's Ford Mondeo was involved in a crash on the A705 in Livingston

The Paisley-based salesman was initially accused of causing death by dangerous driving. He denied this and the jury convicted him of a lesser charge.

He also pleaded guilty to having obtained motor insurance from Tesco by fraud.

Ms Aitken, from Livingston, was driving a family friend home from her work when MacDonald's Audi Q7 crashed into her Ford Mondeo and a Honda CRV.

Her front seat passenger, Sofia Crichton, 19, suffered severe head injuries and spent 10 weeks in hospital.

A 39-year-old man and four-year-old girl who were travelling in the Honda were not seriously injured.

Judge Lord Lake told MacDonald: "Your evidence was that it arose from a belief on your part that you were on a dual carriageway when you undertook an overtaking manoeuvre.

"Your speed was clearly not excessive, and the jury's verdict indicates they accepted your explanation.

"I consider this falls far short of dangerous driving, though it must be born in mind that there were visual clues in the environment that should have alerted you to your error."