Teenage racer jailed for four years over woman's crash death

John Gribben was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow

A teenage driver has been jailed for four years for causing the death of a grandmother while racing at up to 140mph.

John Gribben, 19, of Ayr, was sentenced to a further two years for dangerous driving two months after the fatal accident.

Joan Price, 59, died in a head-on crash on the A77 in Ayrshire last January.

Logan Knox, 20, is serving a five-year sentence after he admitted causing Ms Price's death by driving dangerously.

At the High Court in Glasgow, judge Sean Murphy QC said Gribben's actions had been "immature, dangerous and irresponsible".

He told the teenager he had contributed to the "destruction" of a life having gone at "grossly excessive speed" and condemned his failure to give assistance after the fatal crash.

He added: "The victim impact statements are the most distressing I have ever had to read.

"Mrs Price's husband had to telephone each of their daughters in turn that their mother had been killed in the crash."

Joan Price was a member of the Dunaskin Doon brass band

Last month, in his closing speech to the jury, prosecutor Michael Meehan said Gribben had been using "Ayrshire roads as a racetrack".

The teenager and Knox had been racing against each other on the A77 near Prestwick Airport on 30 January last year when the crash happened.

Knox, of Coylton, told the jury he had been travelling at up to 140mph.

The court heard he saw Gribben at Heathfield Industrial Estate that evening where he spoke to him before driving off.

When he got to the Whitletts roundabout, Gribben - who was driving an Audi A3 - pulled up behind him.

The labourer, who was behind the wheel of his powerful Volkswagen Golf GTI said: "He was flashing his lights and waving at me."

Knox said they moved off and Gribben, a mechanic, tailgated him.

Advocate depute Michael Meehan asked what he took that to mean and he replied: "Probably wanting a race."

Asked how he reacted, Knox said: "Put my foot down."

Knox added: "He was behind me for a while, I overtook a lorry, he got stuck behind the lorry."

He said it was "his decision to engage in a race".

John Gribben and Logan Knox

The court heard that Knox overtook the lorry, in the face of oncoming traffic, and continued along the A77 towards the Holmston roundabout and tried to undertake a van but clipped the back bumper.

Jurors heard that Knox's car spun round the inside of the van and ended up in front of it on the other side of the road, where he crashed into Mrs Price's Nissan Pulsar.

The grandmother died at the scene while her friend, Gillian Kay, was badly hurt.

Both women were returning home from band practice.

Mrs Price, of Troon, South Ayrshire, was described in court as a "much-loved wife, mother and gran".

The death of the mother-of-three, who had been married to her husband Colin for 26 years, had a "profound effect", the court heard.

Her fellow band member Ms Kay, 40, also testified at Gribben's trial and said she was still badly affected by the ordeal.

'Private racetrack'

Gribben was also convicted of causing a second accident while driving at excessive speed on the A713, near to the junction with Ayr Hospital and the B742, on 31 March last year.

Knox was jailed for five years and four months last summer after he pled guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.

He was banned from the road at the time but got behind the wheel of the car he bought just a week earlier.

Ms Price's husband Colin previously told BBC Scotland that both drivers were equally responsible for his wife's death.

Speaking outside the High Court, Mr Price said he was very pleased both drivers involved had been jailed but disappointed Gribben did not receive a longer sentence.

Ms Price's sister, Maureen Ward, said: "I am glad that they have been jailed and I hope it sends a message to any driver who thinks a public road is ok to be used as a private racetrack

"I think we have spent the last year having to focus on how Joan died.

"With a bit of luck, now we can start to remember how she lived."