Drink-driver loses his bid for switch to French jail
Yacht officer must serve rest of sentence in Scotland after death of island vet in crash
Jennifer Hyland A drink-driver who killed an island vet after downing whisky has lost a legal bid to serve the remainder of his jail sentence in France.
Thomas Wainwright was caged for 12 years after Theresa Wade died when the high-powered Maserati he was driving ploughed into her van on the Isle of Mul l in October 2015.
He was driving on the wrong side of the road when he crashed into 29-year- old Theresa’s vehicle on the A849 near Craignure. At the point of impact, he was travelling at 69mph.
Wainwr ight ’ s fami ly are of Scottish origin but he has lived in France for most of his life. He had been on Mull along with relatives visiting his sick grandmother when he got behind the wheel.
The Scottish Government last year refused a request from Wainwright under the Repatriation of Prisoners Act
1984 to transfer him to the custody of the French authorities to serve the remainder of his custodial sentence.
He then launched a petition for judicial review against that decision at the
Court of Session in Edinburgh. The petition passed the preliminary permission stage earlier this year but last month it was dismissed by the court.
Theresa’s partner, Charles Pease, has said it is right Wainwright should be left to serve his sentence in the country where he committed the crime.
Charles, 65, said: “Wainwright moved to France with his mother many years ago, as far as I’m aware. It’s where he has grown up, which is why he will have wanted to return home.
“But he killed Theresa here and this is where he should stay until he has served that sentence.
“He doesn’t deserve to have his wishes pandered to. It’s good news that he will be staying put – it’s the right decision.
“He was convicted here in Scotland so he should receive his punishment here.”
As well as the 12-year jail term, Wainwright, 31, was banned from driving for 15 years in April 2017 after being found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving.
During a trial at the High Court in Glasgow, the court heard how Wainwright had been drinking cider and whisky for eight- and- a- half hours before the crash and was travelling at speeds up to 95mph.
Witnesses from Mull told how Wainwright had been drinking at a hotel, a pub and a distillery in Tobermor y bef o re hav ing another two pints of cider in the Craignure Inn.
Wainwright said Theresa had been on the wrong side of the road and caused the accident. But traffic experts who examined the crash scene disproved his claim.
Following the trial, prosecutor Tim Niven- Smith revealed that Wainwright, who worked as a first officer on £ 6.26million yacht MY Mahogany, based in the south of France, had a previous conviction for driving while unfit through drink or drugs.
At a court in Nice he was fined €700 (£ 600) and given a suspended sentence.
Wainwright’s legal representatives did not respond to the Sunday Mail’s request for comment.
A Scot t ish Pr ison Service spokesman said : “It is not appropriate for us to comment on individual prisoners.”
A Holyrood spokesman said: “The Scottish Government does not comment on individual cases.”
He doesn’t deserve to have his wishes pandered to