A danger driver who caused a 100mph horror crash that left a woman paralysed from the neck down has been jailed for three years.
Gavin Coull was driving a black BMW on the A90 near Newburgh in March 2021 under the influence of drugs.
The 33-year-old crashed into the back of a red Ford Fiesta causing life-changing injuries to the Fiesta’s passenger Ellen Stickle, 27, of Ellon, who cannot become a mum as a result of the crash.
Coull, of Alva Crescent, Fraserburgh, had denied causing serious injury by dangerous driving and of driving while unfit through drink or drugs – but a jury found him guilty after a trial.
‘An outrageous piece of driving’
Sheriff Philip Mann sentenced Coull at Aberdeen Sheriff Court earlier today as he laid bare the impact Coull’s actions have had on his victim.
Sheriff Mann told Coull: “This was an outrageous piece of driving – made all the worse by having drugs in your system.
“You drove at speeds of 100mph and collided with another vehicle – causing catastrophic and devastating injuries to a young woman that she will have to live with the rest of her life.”
Sheriff Mann added that due to her injuries, the victim would be forced to live with the “emotional and psychological” impact and the fact that she could now never become a mother as a result of what happened.
He added: “Your culpability lies at the top end of the scale and only a custodial sentence is appropriate, though no sentence I can impose can compensate this young lady.”
Sheriff Mann also banned Coull, who works as a field service technician, from driving for four years.
He still claims he wasn’t driving
Despite the sheriff’s sentence, Coull – via his solicitor – still claims he was not driving the car when the crash happened.
During the trial, Coull had unsuccessfully tried to blame his passenger Jamie Dingwall for the crash.
Defence solicitor Sam Milligan said his client accepted the jury’s verdict, but claims he was not driving “at the material time”.
Mr Milligan added: “It is clear Mr Coull had certain difficulties in relation to an addiction to opiates in relation to prescription drugs.
“It’s clear that he is not the same man as he was at the commission of the offence and a considerable amount of time has elapsed (since the crash took place).”
‘Bravery and courage of paralysed woman’
The Crown’s representative in court paid tribute to Miss Stickle, a former care home worker, for showing bravery and courage while giving evidence in court.
Alison McKenzie, Procurator Fiscal for Aberdeen, said: “This young woman suffered catastrophic injuries as a direct consequence of Gavin Coull’s dangerous driving.
“In a split second, she was deprived of the normal and rich life she was entitled to expect.
“Yet she showed enormous bravery and courage in harrowing circumstances to give evidence to the court.
“Hopefully, she and her family will gain some comfort from the fact that justice has been served and that the accused will now spend time in prison as a result of his crimes.”
Victim’s gratitude to road helpers
Police Sergeant Craig McNeill, of the Road Policing Unit, said: “Coull’s disregard for road safety has had a devastating impact on this young woman.
“His actions highlight the disastrous consequences of dangerous driving and the lasting impact it has on those involved, along with their families and friends.
“Drivers must obey speed limits and respect the safety of other road users. Drivers are responsible for their actions and the temptation to take risks can have severe and long-lasting consequences for everyone involved.”
After the crash, a bus driver and recovery driver had pulled up at the scene to help those involved however they could.
Miss Stickle’s family paid tribute to them in a statement outside court today.
They said: “Ellen would like to express her heartfelt gratitude to those who arrived first on the scene.
“She believes they played a significant role in helping to save her life, including the various emergency services who attended.
“In particular, Ellen would like to thank bus driver Sandra Cordiner and recovery driver John Shirran – not only for their immediate actions, but for their time and strength to give evidence in court.
“Ellen would also like to thank Police Scotland and other organisations who worked tirelessly to secure this conviction.”
During the trial, which took place at Peterhead Sheriff Court, the jury heard how Coull had been driving the BMW near the southbound Newburgh slip road of the A90 late in the evening on March 11 2021.
Police officer thought she might be dead
Coull drove into the back of the Fiesta, which was being driven by Callum McIntyre.
The force of the impact caused the Fiesta to smash through crash barriers and tumble onto a grassy embankment off the A90.
Mr McIntyre’s then-girlfriend Miss Stickle was a passenger in the Fiesta and was instantly paralysed from the neck down.
Her injuries at the scene were so severe, the first responder, Pc Aaron Young, said he thought she could “potentially be dead.”
Giving evidence, Miss Stickle said she had no memory of the crash and the first thing she remembers after coming out of a coma was being told she’d never walk again.
The keen runner told the court: ““My whole life was running and being told I would never walk or run again, I really struggled.”
Miss Stickle, who now lives at home with her parents in Ellon, told the jury that she was paralysed from the shoulders down and needs round-the-clock care.
She described needing twice-daily visits from carers and nurses, saying it has taken away her privacy.
“It’s hard, but I’m just grateful that I didn’t die. There was a really big chance that I could have,” she added.
And Mr McIntyre himself sustained head wounds as a result of the crash.
The jury was shown a Snapchat clip that showed the BMW’s speedometer hit 100mph moments before the crash.
The footage has a caption ‘burning the midnight oil’ and noises of a car engine revving can be heard.
Watch: Coull’s incriminating Snapchat video
A close-up of a back-lit car dashboard can be seen before the camera zooms in on the speedometer.
As the needle moves past 90, nearing 100mph, a male voice can be heard to say, ‘that’s a hundred’, ‘are you topping that?’ and ‘show me the moves, bruv’.
A police witness said that voice was that of Jamie Dingwall – the BMW passenger.
The footage had been added to Coull’s Snapchat account on the day of the crash.
One of Coull’s loved ones was so concerned by the video they sent it to police as part of the crash investigation.
Giving evidence during the trial, Mr Dingwall said he and Coull were driving from Aberdeenshire to Aberdeen to pick up some valium.
‘Coull told lie upon lie to avoid responsibility’
Mr Dingwall emphatically denied being the driver – and that was accepted by the jury.
At the trial, Fiscal depute Ruairidh McAllister said Coull had told “lie upon lie” in a “desperate attempt to avoid responsibility for the damage caused that night”.
He added: “He wants us to believe that he was scared of Jamie Dingwall, and he was telling him to slow down – ‘poor terrified Gavin Coull’.
“Yet he uploaded a video minutes before the impact with the caption ‘burning the midnight oil’. It’s not exactly a cry for help – it doesn’t tie in.”
The jury of nine men and six women at Peterhead Sheriff Court in August took just over an hour to find him guilty of causing the crash.
Miss Stickle was in the public gallery with friends and family as the verdict was read out and cries of relief could be heard from them all.
