Daughter tells trial how she tried to save her father after car incident

THE daughter of a driver allegedly killed by a pedestrian has recalled how she tried to save his life.

Erin Boland rushed to give her 60-year-old father John chest compressions after he slumped over the wheel of his car.

The 21-year-old told a jury how a man had earlier been “physically aggressive” with her father after he beeped his horn at him.

Miss Boland agreed what happened in July 2015 was the “worst day of her life”.

She was giving evidence at the trial of Andrew Friel, who is charged with the culpable homicide of Mr Boland in Paisley, Renfrewshire.

The 40-year-old is said to have assaulted the grandfather causing him to suffer a cardiac arrest.

Miss Boland – an anatomy student at Glasgow University – had been a passenger in her father’s Honda.

The pair, along with a 17year-old boy, had spent the day working at Mr Boland’s window blind firm.

Miss Boland said she became aware of a man on the road as they drove home.

Her father hit his horn and then made a “gentle manoeuvre” to avoid hitting the pedestrian.

As they then got caught up in traffic, the witness said the man was spotted “chasing” after the Honda.

Shesaidthemanstruckthe back of the car and then appeared to be “very focused” towards her dad who was driving.

Mr Boland got out the vehicle and his daughter described the man as being “more physically aggressive” including pushing him. A passer-by stepped in and the man walked off.

After they drove off, Miss Boland had expected to slow down at a roundabout.

But,whenthecardidnot, she noticed her father was “slumped” to the side.

The car went on to crash into fences before coming to a halt. Miss Boland ended up with a bloodied nose.

Recalling what she then did, the student told the jury: “I opened my door and went to the driver’s side. I tapped my father’s face and checked his neck for a pulse – I could not find one. I started giving him chest compressions.”

Mr Boland was rushed to hospital, but never recovered and died two days later.

Friel, of Paisley, denies the charge. The trial at the High Court in Glasgow, before Lord Matthews, continues. FORMER undisputed world Lightweight Champion Ken Buchanan was yesterday presented with the prestigious Edinburgh Award – his home city’s highest honour.

His famous fighting hands have also been immortalised on a flagstone outside the City Chambers where they will sit next to the handprints of previous Edinburgh Award recipients, including fellow sporting legends Sir Chris Hoy MBE (cycling) George Kerr CBE (Judo). Voted Britain’s Greatest Ever Boxer by the Boxing News, Leith-born Ken Buchanan, 70, is the only living British fighter in the International Boxing Hall of Fame. The recognition of his career came almost half a century after his historic 15-round victory over Ismael Laguna in Puerto Rico, and more than three decades after his retirement. THE legal drink-drive limit should be lowered in England and Wales to cut alcohol-related accidents, councils and fire authorities have urged.

The Local Government Association (LGA) and all fire and rescue authorities in England and Wales are calling for the current limit to be lowered from 80mg to 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood.

The legal limit in Scotland has been 50mg since December 2014 and Northern Ireland will also soon drop its limit to the same level. The LGA said it was estimated lowering the limit in England and Wales could save up to 170 lives in the first year.