A speeding dad who drove at 137mph and killed his only child in a horrific car crash faces jail.
Craig Melville put his foot down after police officers signalled him to stop, before losing control of his vehicle and colliding with a stone wall in the Highlands.
His Audi RS4 car split into two sections and Melville’s fatally-injured 16-year-old son Craig junior, was thrown from the vehicle and found in a field about 40 metres from the road.
A 15-year-old girl, who was also a passenger in the car, suffered serious injuries, which were described as “life-changing” at the High Court in Edinburgh today.
Melville, 41, admitted causing the death of his son and seriously injuring the girl by driving dangerously at “grossly excessive” speeds on March 27 in 2021.
The father, from Alness, accelerated away at speed from officers who had signalled him to stop and activated blue lights, drove onto the opposing carriageway and then through a “no entry” sign at a T-junction.
He again drove onto the opposing carriageway and away from pursuing officers as he maintained excessive speed and lost control of his vehicle, striking a road verge and the wall.
Advocate depute Richard Goddard KC told the court: “The deceased was the 16-year-old son and only child of the accused and his wife.
“They adored their child and were a close family unit.”
The prosecutor said that Craig junior was described by his mother as “always at his father’s heels” from a young age.
He said: “Much of their time was spent together, often working on cars”.
Mr Goddard said the teenager had secured work at an MOT garage in Dornoch after leaving school and had an apprenticeship to train as a mechanic.
The advocate depute said: “He had a wide group of friends and has been described as ‘a lovely boy, very respectful and willing to do anything for anyone’.”
Previous conviction for speeding
Former HGV driver Melville senior, who has a previous conviction for speeding from 2020, had offered to take his son, the teenage girl and another woman “for a drive” after they attended a birthday party in Alness.
He drove out onto the B817, which has a 60mph speed limit, and onto a section of roadway known as the Ballachraggan Straight.
Mr Goddard said: “At this time, two police officers in a marked police vehicle were conducting speed checks. They were stationary at the Ballachraggan Straight.
“They observed the accused driving towards them and formed the view that he was travelling very significantly over the speed limit.
“They used an approved speed detection device which indicated that the car was being driven at 137mph.”
The officers signalled Melville to stop and he initially slowed as he approached the police car but then accelerated as he passed them before turning onto the B9176 Struie Road, which is also subject to a 60mph limit.
Rebecca Ross, then 22, who was a front seat passenger in Melville’s car, said: “At the end of the straight, I remember he turned right.
“I could feel the car getting faster and faster. I started to feel uncomfortable and scared. He was definitely driving too fast for that bit of road.
“I’ve never been in a car going that fast. I remember the car snaking from side to side,” she told the court.
‘Grossly excessive’ speed
Mr Goddard said that police had followed Melville onto the B9176 in a bid to catch up with him but added: “However, the accused was quickly lost to sight as his speed at this time was grossly excessive.”
He added: “Thirty-two seconds after the accused had passed the police vehicle on the B817, the officers came around a right-hand bend on the B9176 and discovered that the accused had lost control of his car, it had left the road and collided with a stone wall.”
“As a result, the vehicle had split into two parts. The officers immediately stopped and called for urgent assistance,” he said.
“The rear section of the Audi had become detached and had come to rest on a stone wall to the offside of the carriageway.
“The front section was around 120 metres further north on the carriageway. Debris was strewn across both carriageways,” the advocate depute said.
The teenage girl was trapped underneath the rear section of the car and was in a pool of petrol.
She was freed by firefighters but had sustained burns, multiple fractures and internal injuries. She has since undergone surgery and physiotherapy.
Craig Melville junior sustained multiple severe injuries in the crash, which happened at around 9.30pm.
After paramedics arrived he was pronounced dead at the scene, the court heard.
Miss Ross suffered cuts and bruises in the collision and Melville senior spent around a week in hospital following the collision, complaining of pain but scans were unable to detect injuries.
The judge, Lord Fairley, was shown footage from a police car retracing Melville’s route before the collision taken in daylight and footage filmed in darkness from the police vehicle that tried to catch up with him.
Defence solicitor advocate Neil Wilson said that Melville was in no doubt about the seriousness of what he had pled guilty to and he was not instructed to seek to have his bail continued ahead of sentencing.
Lord Fairley called for a background report to be prepared on Melville, who has not previously served a jail sentence, and remanded him in custody.
‘Catastrophic consequences’
Sergeant David Miller, of the Highland and Islands road policing unit and senior investigating officer for the collision, said: “Craig Melville’s reckless and dangerous driving ultimately led to a fatal collision with the most catastrophic consequences, the effects of which will never go away.
“Our thoughts remain with everyone involved and connected to this tragic incident.
“Melville’s actions should serve as a reminder to all drivers that the law is in place to keep people safe.
“Everyone has the right to use our roads and get home safely, without the fear of coming to harm.
“Please play your part and ensure that we can all stay safe throughout our communities.”
Melville, of Kirkside, Alness, is due to be sentenced on February 22 at the High Court in Glasgow.