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Disqualified Driver Kills Great-Grandfather in Stolen Car
21 Aug
Summary
- Driver jailed for 13.5 years after killing pensioner.
- Car was stolen Maserati, driven at 85mph in 30mph zone.
- Victim was a 74-year-old great-grandfather.
A disqualified driver, Fraser Garden, has been sentenced to 13-and-a-half years in jail for the death of 74-year-old John Bell. The fatal incident occurred in April in Broughty Ferry when Garden, who had 90 previous convictions and two lifetime driving bans, crashed a stolen Maserati into Mr. Bell's garden.
Garden had consumed cocaine and was driving at 85mph in a 30mph zone, almost three times the speed limit. He had stolen the vehicle just before the collision and was driving erratically, ignoring traffic signals. The car lost control, veered into the victim's garden, and struck Mr. Bell, who was pinned against a wall and pronounced dead at the scene.
Mr. Bell was a beloved great-grandfather with 10 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. He had a long career, first as a bus conductor and later as a taxi driver for nearly 30 years. Garden refused to provide a blood sample after the crash, though cocaine was detected in his system.
