Crash shock gave joyrider’s victim heart condition

A JOYRIDER smashed into a woman’s car with such force that the shock caused her to develop a permanent heart condition.

Rachel Ward, 33, was left with multiple broken bones and a heart murmur after Scott Fairweather stole his girlfriend’s car and hit her vehicle.

Dundee Sheriff Court was told that she was left scarred for life and still suffers flashbacks and night terrors as a result of the horrific crash in Forfar, Angus.

The court was shown CCTV footage of Fairweather ramming into her Vauxhall Corsa with such force that it shot off sideways up a street and hit a traffic light, leaving the pole bent by 45 degrees.

Fiscal depute Kirsten Letford told the court yesterday that Fairweather, 28, had taken Kayleigh Balfour’s car without her knowledge and gone out joyriding with his friend Lennon Russell.

The crash happened after he drove through a red light on East High Street, Forfar. After striking the other vehicle at speed, he mounted the kerb and crashed into the beer garden of the Thistle Bar, causing significant damage. He ran off, despite suffering a broken leg, and later tried to blame his friend.

Mrs Letford said: ‘Police saw both crashed vehicles and a lot of debris scattered across the road. The victim was in her driver’s seat and it was clear she was trapped.’ Miss Ward had to be cut free.

Mrs Letford added: ‘She was clearly in shock and intense pain. She told the police the car had come out of nowhere and struck her vehicle.’

Miss Ward suffered life-threatening injuries and was treated in intensive care. Mrs Letford added: ‘It is the doctors’ opinion that she has been left with a heart murmur as a direct result of the trauma.’

Fairweather, of Forfar, admitted driving dangerously and at speed and ignoring a red light before colliding with another car. He also admitted stealing his partner’s car from outside her home on November 15, 2020 and trying to defeat the ends of justice by avoiding detection.

Sheriff Richard MacFarlane granted bail and deferred sentence for reports.