Drug driver who killed cyclist on wrong side of road jailed
- Published
Scott MacKinnon was found to have "unquantified concentrations" of a number of drugs in his bloodstream
A driver who killed a cyclist while he had multiple drugs in his system has been jailed for more than six years.
Scott Mackinnon's car swerved into the opposite carriageway of the A814 before hitting the bike of Colin McCourt who was cycling home from work.
Mr McCourt was thrown onto the pavement and died at the scene near Cardross, Argyll and Bute, in November 2020.
Mackinnon was also given a 12-year driving ban.
The 47-year-old was discovered to have taken five drugs, including morphine and etizolam - sometimes known as street valium.
The High Court in Edinburgh had heard that Mr McCourt, 40, who was returning to Dumbarton from his job as a mechanical engineer at the Clyde naval base at Faslane, was "highly visible" on his bike at the time of the collision.
Mackinnon's Volkswagen Golf partially mounted a footpath before striking Mr McCourt's bike. His vehicle also struck another car before the Golf overturned and landed on its roof.
He got out of his car claiming he was "fine" and told a police officer: "My glasses are too loose, so I had bobbles holding them on. They must have fell off my face."
He was described as having "slurred" speech and being incoherent and appeared to fall asleep on the way to a police station.
He was found to have "unquantified concentrations" of drugs in his bloodstream.
Mr McCourt suffered serious head and chest injuries in the fatal incident.
Sentencing Mackinnon to six years and nine months in prison, Judge Alison Stirling told Mackinnon: "Custody is the only appropriate disposal, having regard to the serious nature of your offending."
She added: "The reasons for this sentence include punishment, protection of the public and rehabilitation in a custodial setting."
Numerous convictions
The judge pointed out that Mackinnon, formerly of East King Street, Helensburgh, had numerous previous convictions for road traffic offences and two linked to drugs.
Mackinnon admitted causing death by driving dangerously while unfit through drugs.
Defence counsel Janice Green said Mackinnon recognised that his responses when bending down to pick up his glasses were likely to have been affected.
She said he was genuinely remorseful for what had occurred and was determined to address addiction difficulties while in jail.
He was also told he would have to sit a test before driving again.