The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Speeding driver killed friend just days after his test
Court: Man admits causing death of teen pal in crash – just two days after passing test
A SPEEDING driver killed his teenage friend in a north-east car crash – just two days after passing his test.
Calvin McRobb, 20, lost control of his Citroen C2 on a double bend on the A947 Dyce to Newmachar road.
Travelling at over 60mph in the rain, he crashed into a Seat Leon coming the otherway inthe early hours of March 12 last year.
His 17-year-old passenger, Benjamin Waterfield, suffered extensive injuries and died the following day in hospital.
The victim’s mother said turning off the budding soldier’s life support machine was “the hardest thing I've had to do in the world”.
Yesterday McRobb, of Creel Road, Cove, pleaded guilty to causing his
friend's death by driving carelessly on the country road.
Another teenage passenger was also injured along with the 23-year-old driver of the other car.
Depute fiscal David Barclay said the injured female passenger had been concerned about the speed at which McRobb was travelling and asked him to slow down.
“But he did notdoso," Mr Barclay said.
He said the schoolgirl was about to call her friend to let her know she wanted out of the car just before the crash.
Mr Barclay said: “She closed here yes and the next thing she remembers is being in a lot of pain" with her legs trapped by the seat in front of her.
Mr Waterfield, from the Aberdeen area, was taken to hospital unconscious with multiple fractures and soft tissue injuries.
He died the following day when his devastated family gave permission to switch off his life support machine in hospital.
The court heard that the Citroen had undergone several modifications, including a lowered suspension and had non-standard tyres fitted.
McRobb had not carried out the work himself and bought the car with the modifications. The modifications were not found to have contributed to the collision.
Defence lawyer David Moggach said his client accepted that he was driving too fast.
But he said he would have slowed down the vehicle had he been aware that one of the passengers was concerned about his speed.
Sentence was deferred for background reports until later this year.
Mr Waterfield's mother said her son had been robbed of his future after the court hearing at Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday.
Sarah Waterfield, 46, said: “All I want is justice for my son. I've lost the future for him.
“He had just worked out what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. He wanted to join the Army.
“The injuries that Benjamin suffered was on every single part of his body from head to toe so it wasn't a slow impact - it was fast.
“Having to switch off the machines – letting my son go – was the hardest thing I've had to do in the world. I shouldn't have to bury my son because he was driving too fast having passed his test two days before."
“All I want is justice for my son. I've lost the future for him”