Drug driver is jailed for gran crash death
9 yrs for con who killed Carol, 62, in road horror
A SPEEDING driver was yesterday jailed for nine-and-a-half years after killing a gran while he was high on drugs.
Hugh Steel, 39, didn’t give way to oncoming traffic at a roundabout and smashed into a car being driven by Nicolas Georges.
Nicolas, 67, was badly hurt and his wife Carol, 62, the front seat passenger, sustained fatal injuries.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard that Nicolas was told of Carol’s death by his son-in-law after surgery following the crash last November.
A blood sample showed that Steel - who was out of jail on licence - had taken diazepam, street valium, morphine, the class-C drug etizolam and an antidepressant known to have sedative properties in their side effects.
The fatal crash happened when Steel mounted a traffic island and careered on to an East Kilbride roundabout. Nicolas had no time to react as Steel’s VW Golf rammed his motor.
The victims - who were separated but remained close friends - had just had dinner at their daughter’s home. Prosecutor Jane Farquharson said: “They had enjoyed a relaxed family supper before leaving just before their young grandson’s bedtime.”
Steel admitted causing Carol’s death and serious injury to Nicolas by driving dangerously and while unfit after consuming drugs at the A730 Cathkin bypass roundabout junction with the A749 East Kilbride road.
Judge Lord Uist said: “Mr Georges and the close family of Mrs Georges have been devastated by the death of Mrs Georges.”
He said that victim impact statements made “heartrending reading”.
Unemployed Steel’s criminal record included a conviction for driving while unfit through drink and/or drugs, and he was jailed for nine years in 2010 for assault with intent to rob, assault to severe injury and permanent disfigurement and assault and robbery.
Lord Uist ordered that he serve three-and-a-half years of the unexpired part of his last sentence before he begins a six-year jail term for the fatal driving offence.
The judge said: “There is hardly a more serious way of breaching your licence than killing someone.”
Steel was also banned from driving for a decade.
They left just before their young grandson’s bedtime
PROSECUTOR ON VICTIMS’ EVENING BEFORE TRAGEDY