Woman who ran over and killed boyfriend is too young for prison
Judge accepts her remorse is ‘genuine’
A YOUNG woman who killed the ‘love of her life’ by driving over him in her car following a row over money has been spared jail because of her age.
Grace Ross, 21, was left with post-traumatic stress disorder after seeing her boyfriend, Joshua Kerr, die in front of her in May 2020.
The 18-year-old slipped under Ross’s car, suffered a catastrophic head injury and died after she drove over him at low speed.
Ross had previously been warned she faced a prison sentence after being convicted of causing Mr Kerr’s death by careless driving.
But a judge yesterday said he accepted her remorse was ‘genuine’, adding sentencing guidelines meant he should avoid sending her to prison on account of her age.
Before the incident, the couple had argued at Mr Kerr’s home in Leslie, Fife, about money and what was described as a ‘cash app’ on his phone. It culminated in her taking his phone, getting into her car and turning on a narrow road.
She was said to be travelling at only 2.3mph before she hit Mr Kerr, but the impact caused him to fall under the car.
Ross, of Glenrothes, Fife, appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh for sentencing yesterday having pleaded guilty earlier this year to causing Joshua’s death by careless driving. Her lawyer, Donald Findlay, QC, told judge Lord Braid that she was genuinely remorseful for causing Mr Kerr’s death and had suffered post-traumatic stress disorder from seeing him die.
Lord Braid said sentencing guidelines were that young people should be jailed only if no other sentence is available. He ordered her to perform 300 hours community service.
He added: ‘You stopped your car, got out of the vehicle and contacted the emergency services. You administered first aid to Mr Kerr.
‘I have read victim impact statements which describe the loss and void in the lives of Mr Kerr’s family and friends. There is no sentence I can pass which can ever fill that.
‘I have also taken into account the remorse that you expressed, which I accept is genuine.
‘You are also aged 21 so I must take into account Scottish Sentencing Council Guidelines for people of your age.’
He added: ‘I have come to the view that there is a suitable alternative to imprisonment. I will impose a community payback order of 300 hours unpaid work.’
Ross was also banned from driving for five years.
A female relative of Mr Kerr shouted out during the hearing: ‘She’s a murderer and I hate her.’
At earlier proceedings, prosecutor Gavin Anderson told the court it was Ross’s ‘suspicion’ that the farmhand was hiding things from her. The advocate depute said: ‘She said she was coming to the farm unless he handed over the code to the cash app.’
Ross then turned up around 11am. She got hold of Mr Kerr’s phone and got back into her Vauxhall Corsa. Mr Anderson added: ‘He was struck by the front offside, which caused him to fall and then be under the car.
‘Once lying on his back, both offside wheels went over him. One
‘Alternative to imprisonment’ ‘He jumped in front of me’
passed over his leg. The rear offside wheel ran over his head and caused a significant skull fracture – the injury was incompatible with life.’
Ross immediately left the car and phoned the emergency services.
She begged police who arrived that she wanted to give her boyfriend ‘one last hug’, but was stopped from doing so.
She told officers: ‘We had a fight and I came up to see him. When I tried to leave, he jumped in front of me and I hit him.’
Yesterday, Mr Findlay described the case as ‘tragic at all levels’.
He added: ‘Miss Ross continues to grieve for the loss of her boyfriend, her partner, for the love of her life.
‘She has never been anything other than deeply sorry for the events that happened that day.’