Jailed, the boozed-up speeder who killed mother of the groom
A SPEEDING drink-driver who caused the death of a mother in a car crash as she returned from her son’s wedding has been sentenced to more than seven years in jail.
Mary Laurie, also known as Marie, was making her way home from the celebrations in November last year when the taxi she and her husband had just got into was hit by a car being chased by police in Glasgow.
The 57-year-old, from Easterhouse, Glasgow, lost consciousness minutes after being thrown through a window of the cab in the collision at the junction of Edinburgh Road and Springboig Road.
Steven Bennie, 21, who pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving at a hearing last month, was sentenced to seven years and six months when he appeared at the High Court in Glasgow yesterday.
Sentencing Bennie, judge Lord Boyd said: ‘On the 29th of November last year, Mary Laurie was returning home with her husband from what must’ve been one of the happiest days of her life, her son’s wedding.
‘In an instant that life was gone and a family who had just been celebrating were left to mourn that loss.’
Lord Boyd told Bennie that, but for his guilty plea, he would have jailed him for 11 years.
The judge told Bennie he accepted he was genuinely remorseful, but added that he had been driving at speeds of up to 80mph in a 30mph limit while uninsured, with no licence and having consumed alcohol.
He also banned Mr Bennie, from Shettleston, from driving for ten years.
During the earlier hearing, the court heard how Bennie reached high speeds in an effort to shake off the police pursuit. Police had become suspicious of the Vauxhall Astra he was driving when he stopped to eat takeaway icecream at Springhill industrial estate with a friend in the early hours of Sunday November 29.
Bennie, who was 20 at the time, declared ‘F***, I’ve not got a licence’ when he saw the police van approach and he drove off. Officers switched on their blue lights and followed the vehicle, signalling they wanted it to stop.
Bennie initially slowed down, then headed off ‘at speed’, prompting the chase.
Meanwhile, Mrs Laurie, carrying a bouquet of flowers from the wedding, hailed a taxi at about 1.30am for the last leg of her journey home.
Just as the taxi turned on to Edinburgh Road, Bennie’s vehicle came across the junction through the red light and collided with the side of the taxi.
Mrs Laurie was taken to Glasgow Royal Infirmary, where she was pronounced dead as a result of head and chest injuries.
Her husband James suffered seven rib fractures and a laceration to his liver, while Bennie’s passenger was taken to A&E after being trapped in the crash.
Tragedy struck after she a celebrated the wedding of her son, Martin Colquhoun, at a hotel in Cumnock, Ayrshire, last year.
Tests revealed Bennie had 71mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood at the time of the incident. The legal limit is 50mg of alcohol.
He pled guilty to drink driving and having no insurance. Defence counsel John McElroy said Bennie experienced panic and anxiety when he was being chased by the police.
Speaking afterwards, Mrs Laurie’s son Martin said: ‘So far our thoughts are we got what we expected.
‘It’s never enough given what we lost, but we got enough to be happy today.’
Mr Colquhoun insisted, however, that he holds no hatred towards Mr Bennie.
He said: ‘He’s just a boy that had a bad experience and he’s caused a death and, to be honest with you, he could be ruined for the rest of his life as well.
‘So let’s hope he takes from that and moves on and let’s hope that he can manage to get over the fact that he’s killed somebody.
‘I’ve no hatred. Anger is not something I want to be filled with.’
‘In an instant that life has gone’