The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Jury urged to convict death crash accused as High Court trial goes on
Court: But defence claims vet who was killed in collision was at fault
A prosecutor yesterday urged a jury to convict a driver of killing a vet in a collision on a Scottish island.
Thomas Wainwright, 27, denies causing the death of 29-year-old Theresa Wade on the A849 near Craignure, Mull, on October 28, 2015, by dangerous driving.
It is alleged that Wainwright was driving a hired Maserati on the wrong side of the road at speeds of up to 95mph while under the influence of alcohol and unfit to drive.
At the High Court in Glasgow, advocate depute Tim Niven-Smith told the jurors: “Iwould urge you to convict Mr Wainwright.”
Defence QC Ian Duguid told the jury that the accused's position is that Miss Wade was driving on the wrong side of the road and he swerved to avoid her.
He added there was no suggestion by witnesses at the crash scene that Wainwright was under the influence of alcohol.
In evidence, Wainwright said Miss Wade was on the wrong side of the road.
He told the jury that he swerved over on to the wrong side of the road to try to avoid her and she also swerved over. The result, he said, was that when they collided her van was on the correct side of the road and his was on the wrong side.
Wainwright admitted having alcohol that day, but said he was drinking slowly and giving the
“Wainwright admitted having alcohol that day but said he was drinking slowly”
alcohol time to get out of his system.
He told the jurors he had a clear head when he got into the Maserati outside the Craignure Inn and said he would not have driven otherwise.
When it comes to make its deliberations, the jury has only one charge to consider – causing death by dangerous driving.
Wainwright has admitted failing to provide a specimen of breath at Craignure Police Station on October 29, 2015.
A charge of performing “doughnuts” with the highperformance car and driving the wrong way round a roundabout and on the wrong side of the road on various occasions between October 24 and 27 last year, was withdrawn by the Crown and Wainwright was acquitted of that offence.
The judge's charge to the jury will take place on Tuesday.