A drugged-up driver claimed he killed a cyclist after his glasses held together with hair bobbles fell off. Scott MacKinnon, 47, struck Colin McCourt head on after swerving onto the wrong side of the A814 Cardross Road, Argyll and Bute, on November 10, 2020.
The 40-year-old dad never survived after being hurtled over the bonnet of MacKinnon's Volkswagen Golf. He got behind the wheel despite a test later revealing the presence of six different drugs in his system, including street Valium, Methadone and morphine.
MacKinnon - who already had road traffic offences - pled guilty to causing the death of Colin by dangerous driving following the collision on the A814. Tragedy struck as Colin was returning home from his job as a mechanical engineer at the Clyde naval base at Faslane.
Prosecutor Neil McCulloch told the High Court in Glasgow how the victim was "highly visible" to others. Colin, of Dumbarton, West Dunbartonshire, was cycling as MacKinnon was in his Volkswagen travelling in the opposite direction.
Mr McCulloch said MacKInnon's car then "swerved" onto the wrong side, mounted a kerb, ended up only partly on the road before striking the front wheel of Colin's bike.
The prosecutor: "Colin McCourt travelled over the bonnet of the Volkswagen then striking the windscreen. He was thrown onto the top of a hedge before coming to rest on a footpath by the side of the road."
MacKinnon went on to hit another car before coming to a halt after his motor spun onto its roof. Mr McCulloch: "There is no evidence that he applied the brakes in an attempt to slow the vehicle prior to colliding with Colin McCourt."
Other motorists raced to help the stricken cyclist, who was unconscious and in cardiac arrest. Colin passed away at the scene having suffered serious head and chest injuries as well as multiple leg fractures.
He is survived by his partner, son, his parents and sister.
MacKinnon, of Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute, clambered out his car meantime claiming he was "fine".
Several witnesses believed he was "under the influence" of substances. Police turned up and MacKinnon told one officer: "My glasses are too loose, so I had bobbles holding them on. They must have fell off my face."
MacKinnon was described as having "slurred" and "incoherent" speech. He went on to repeatedly fall asleep on way to the police station. The court heard he was found to have "unquantified concentrations" of a number of drugs in his bloodstream.
Janice Green, defending, told the court: "His position is that the glasses fell from his face at the point the car swerved. He bent down to pick them up. Glasses were later found in the footwell of the car and there were hair bobbles around the legs."
In a statement released through Digby Brown, Colin’s family said: “The loss of Colin is something we will never truly come to terms with.
“He was a very special person to all who knew and loved him and we miss him every day.
“This conviction is welcome and we now hope the sentencing will reflect our trauma and loss while also serving us an example to make our roads safer because we don’t want other families to ever experience something like this.
“We’d like to thank loved ones, friends, those who shared happy memories of Colin with us and the wider community for their support but now request our privacy is respected as we try to move forwards.”
It emerged MacKinnon had four previous road traffic convictions including driving without a licence or insurance. The lawyer had asked for MacKinnon to remain on bail as one of his daughters was due to give birth.
But, Judge Alison Stirling told him: "I will revoke your bail and you will be remanded." MacKinnon appeared to be in tears as he was lead to the cells. Sentencing was deferred until later this month for reports.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here .
