Man convicted of killing two in Mid Argyll crash

An estate worker has been convicted at the High Court in Edinburgh of killing two passengers in his car after driving dangerously on a country road.

Jordan Lawrence, 25, had been drinking at a party held following a pheasant shoot when he lost control of the vehicle which was propelled through the air onto the shoreline near to the single track B8024 in Knapdale.

Jasmine Herron, 19, and Jonathan “Jonny” Graham, 37, head gamekeeper at the Ormsary Estate, were thrown from the car and were so badly injured that they died.

Lawrence had denied causing the deaths by driving dangerously on January 25 and 26 in 2020, but was convicted on Monday June 5 of the offence following a trial.

He drove while unfit through alcohol, at excessive speed and failed to maintain observations.

He lost control of the car and it left the road and the vehicle struck a boulder before becoming airborne.

Lawrence, of Low Bowhill Farm, Newmilns, in Ayrshire, was also convicted of failing to report the accident.

A judge told the first offender: “You have been found guilty of a very serious charge in circumstances which are plainly tragic for all concerned.”

Lord Beckett told Lawrence, who was on bail, that he would be remanded in custody while a background report is prepared on him ahead of sentencing at a later date.

He told jurors: “You returned a verdict which is entirely justified by the evidence you have heard.”

He said it was not an easy trial for the jurors as it was “a deeply tragic event”, which had a huge impact on a small community.

The court heard evidence that Lawrence arrived at the party with a pack of Stella Artois lager and drank shots of whisky, vodka and gin.

As he left with Miss Herron and Mr Graham in his car, witnesses said he appeared to be driving very fast. One said: “It just zoomed past.”

Advocate depute Graeme Jessop said the evidence pointed to Lawrence driving too fast while he was impaired by alcohol and losing control of the car at a point where there was no obvious hazard in the roadway.

The prosecutor said: “He made off from the scene and holed up in his house. Why? Is one obvious explanation that he was trying to avoid detection by the authorities until such time as he sobered up?”

Mr Jessop said: “He went home and lay low until the police found him.”

Gamekeeper James Reid, 40, said an end of season pheasant shoot had been organised for that weekend, known as “Keepers’ Day”.

He said: “It is mainly for people who have helped on shoots throughout the year.

“It is a bit of a social get-together to celebrate the end of the year and all the work that has gone into it.”

He said he and Mr Graham, who lived at the gamekeeper’s cottage with his wife and three boys, were running the event and Lawrence, who worked on the estate at the time, came to the after-shoot party at the village hall.

The following morning he returned to the hall to make sure everything was in order and it was secured.

He was returning home when he saw a car on the shore off the B8024 and recognised it as Lawrence’s vehicle.

Mr Reid said: “It was well down the beach facing out to sea.” He added that the vehicle was “a wreck”. He then realised that Mr Graham was lying dead on his back.

He returned home and emergency services were contacted and then returned to the beach with his partner Lisa McShane, who realised Miss Herron was also dead.

She said she was concerned because she could not see Lawrence.

She said: “I knew they were together and I thought he could possibly be lying dead somewhere as well.”

Mr Reid said the police later told them that Lawrence had been found.

In a statement released through Digby Brown Solicitors, Jonny’s wife paid tribute to her husband.

Anna Graham, 34, who was with Jonny for five years and had three boys together, said: “The loss of Jonny has been truly devastating for us all. He was a loving husband and father and we feel his absence every day.

“In all honesty, the outcome of the trial has no real bearing on our lives as no legal outcome will every replace Jonny or address the pain and loss we’ve suffered.

“I’d like to thank everyone who has supported us over the last few years but now just request that me and my family are left alone as we look to the future.”