Rutherglen family set to seek private prosecution against death crash driver
Lochrie’s to follow bin crash bereaved
The siblings of a man mown down when the driver of a double-decker blacked out at the wheel want to bring a private prosecution against him.
Jim Lochrie was tragically killed on March 31, 2012, when his First Bus colleague David Logue fainted while driving and ploughed into a bus stop on Cathcart Road. Speaking to the Reformer just weeks before Jim’s four- year anniversary, the Lochrie family said they are asking for legal aid in a bid to bring a private prosecution against Mr Logue.
The family say they have been buoyed by recent news that families devastated in the George Square disaster have been granted legal aid to pursue their own case against bin lorry driver Harry Clarke.
Scottish Government ministers confirmed last Wednesday, March 9, that legal aid would be provided to the McQuade/Sweeney family and the families of Mhairi Convy and Laura Stewart who were killed when William Payne blacked out at the wheel of his Land Rover in Glasgow in 2010. Like bin lorry driver Clarke and Payne, Logue did not fully disclose his medical history to the DVLA and kept his licence.
The three drivers were at the wheel when their out-of-control vehicles claimed nine lives.
The Sweeney/McQuade family - who lost two generations of their family in the George Square tragedy on December 22, 2015 -
and the families of Ms Convey and Ms Stewart have lodged a Bill of Criminal letters with the Crown Office in a bid to start a private prosecution.
Now, Jim's siblings believe they could follow their example, if they too were granted legal aid.
Archie Lochrie, Jim's younger brother, said: “Obviously Jim's name wasn't mentioned in the Scottish Government statement, it was the two girls Mhairi and Laura and the Harry Clarke victims.
“But my sister Yvonne has made an appointment with a lawyer for tomorrow, Thursday, to see whether or not he can do the same thing for us.”
Explaining he was hopeful this may finally result in justice for his beloved brother, Archie said he still felt very angry that Logue had lied about previous fainting episodes in a bid to keep his driving licence.
A fatal accident inquiry last year heard that Logue crashed a bus in January 1998 and in June 2008 as a result of fainting.
Archie added: “Why should he be walking the streets after doing what he has done having had these episodes? I feel the bin lorry driver and this other driver, why should they get off with it?”
Judges have yet to rule whether any private prosecutions can go ahead.
The Crown Prosecution Service said it was unable to commence criminal proceedings against the three drivers because they would have to prove they knew they were going to pass out at the time of the incidents.