Driver jailed for killing woman who challenged him for abusing partner
A DRIVER has been jailed after killing a woman who confronted him about how he was treating his partner.
Ian edwards reversed his car while the passenger door was open and hit Nicola Kirk, a mother of four.
edwards – who had taken cocaine and alcohol – fled the scene but later phoned police, claiming that he had driven off as he had been threatened.
Miss Kirk, 45, died from head injuries after the incident at a car park in the Whitesands area of Dumfries on May 12 last year.
edwards had been due to stand trial at the high Court in Glasgow but pleaded guilty yesterday to culpable homicide.
The 37-year-old – who has 26 previous convictions and had been freed on bail just a month before the incident – was jailed for seven years and two months by judge Lady Carmichael.
The court heard how he drove to the car park that night to collect his partner, Lesley Murdoch. The couple had intended to resolve a row they had earlier that day.
But prosecutor Chris Macintosh said they ended up getting into another argument.
Miss Kirk and friend Chantelle Aitken, 26, were said to have taken ‘umbrage’ at the way edwards was
speaking to his partner. he called the pair names and seemed to be ‘smiling at and goading’ them.
The women followed him towards his car and one yelled at him: ‘If you want to hit a woman, hit me.’
edwards got back into his car and his partner also got in – but the passenger door remained open.
Mr Macintosh said: ‘Within three seconds, edwards reversed at speed and in an erratic manner.
The open door struck Nicola Kirk and Chantelle Aitken, who were effectively trapped.
‘Both fell to the ground. Chantelle got up, but Nicola did not. edwards drove off at speed.’
Miss Kirk, from Dumfries, was found lying in a pool of blood. She was taken to hospital but did not recover. her friend suffered back and elbow injuries.
edwards, also from Dumfries, later called police to say he had ‘hit a female’ and had driven off as he had been ‘threatened with a knife’.
On being arrested, he said: ‘Don’t tell me something happened to her.
I need to see my lawyer.’ The court heard he now accepted he was not threatened that night. Iain Paterson, defending, said his client had not realised Miss Kirk was so close to his car when he reversed.
Lady Carmichael told edwards: ‘Within three seconds of Nicola Kirk and Chantelle Aitken arriving at the side of the car, you reversed at speed – plainly as a reaction to their approach and with the door still open.
‘The speed of your manoeuvre was… a highly dangerous thing to do and it has had the most terrible consequences.’