Driver acquitted after couple's crash death in Glenrothes

Grandparents Harry and Shirley Taggerty were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash

A man has been acquitted of causing the deaths of a couple by driving dangerously.

Liam McWatt, 24, walked free from court after jurors found the case against him not proven.

Earlier in the trial, the court heard that Mr McWatt had lost control of his vehicle and crashed into Harry and Shirley Taggerty.

The driver told a police officer at the scene that he must have blacked out before the crash.

• Couple killed in crash 'went flying into the air'

Mr McWatt of Glenrothes, Fife, was driving in his home town when he hit the couple, who were walking on the other side of the road.

He was the sole occupant of a Ford Fiesta which was westbound on the A911 just after 10:00 in the morning on 13 July, 2019.

The jury heard that Mr McWatt's car crossed the carriageway and struck Harry Taggerty, 61, and his wife Shirley, 58.

One eyewitness described how Mr Taggerty tried in vain to pull his wife out of the way of the car which was "careering" towards them at speed.

The witness described how the couple appeared to still be holding hands as the impact threw them into the air.

Liam McWatt, 24, walked free from court after jurors found the case against him not proven.

A police officer who witnessed the crash previously told the court how he had seen Mr McWatt's car mount a pavement and hit the couple who were sent "flying into the air".

He said that he went to their aid but saw "no signs of life". He then turned to Mr McWatt who told him he had blacked out.

Mr McWatt went on to enter a not guilty plea, telling the court during the trial that he could not remember the moments leading to the crash but that he had been feeling unwell in the days before the collision and that he had been sent home sick from work.

Prosecutors had alleged that Mr McWatt drove at excessive speed while using a mobile phone, then crossed the road into the path of oncoming traffic.

The jury was told he had not tested positive for alcohol, and there were no defects in his vehicle that could explain what happened.

After deliberating for two hours, the jury returned its verdict that Mr McWatt was not criminally responsible for the Taggertys' deaths.