Court told driver was drinking on day of fatal crash

A MASERATI driver accused of killing a vet in a head-on crash was drinking cider and whisky just hours before the accident, a court has heard.

Thomas Wainright, 27, of Valbonne, France, denies causing the death of Theresa Wade, 29, near Craignure, Mull, on October 28, 2015.

He was allegedly driving a hired Maserati Ghibli at up to 95mph on the wrong side of the road before colliding with the van driven by Miss Wade.

Barmaid Holly Siddans, 27, told prosecutor Tim NivenSmith Mr Wainwright drank four 500ml bottles of Magners Cider between lunchtime and about 5pm that day at the Mishnish Hotel, Tobermory.

The jury at the High Court in Glasgow was shown CCTV footage of the hotel bar.

Miss Siddars said Mr Wainwright and his stepfather Jerome Lopez, of Mull, had three drinks and then went to the town’s Macgochans Bar for lunch.

She said when they returned to the hotel they had a further drink each.

Mr Niven-Smith asked: “As far as the Mishnish is concerned this is the fourth bottle of Magners served to the accused?” Miss Siddars replied: “Yes.” When asked if they had more drinks, she replied: “They may have but I left not long after they came back.”

The jury heard the pair were also drinking in Macgochans before going to a distillery. Employee Etla Kolarikova told the court Mr Lopez was a friend and she let them have a whisky tasting without the tour.

Miss Kolarikova told the court Mr Wainwright had two drams and Mr Lopez four. She said she warned Mr Lopez about drink-driving, but he just laughed.

The trial before Judge John Morris, QC, continues.