The mother of a man alleged to have caused a crash which paralysed a young Ellon woman claims she was threatened to “watch her back” by the man her son insists was driving.
Gavin Coull is alleged to have driven his black BMW 3 series into the back of a red Fiesta – causing life-changing injuries to that car’s passenger, Ellon care home worker Ellen Stickle.
Coull, 32, of Alva Crescent, Fraserburgh, denies the charges and has lodged a special defence of incrimination, claiming another man – Jamie Dingwall – was driving at the time.
Mum tells of shop confrontation
The crash happened on March 11 2021 on the A90 Ellon to Aberdeen road near to the slip road for the B9000 to Newburgh.
Peterhead Sheriff Court previously heard Coull was interviewed by police in July 2021 where he made the claim the Mr Dingwall was the driver at the time of the incident.
On day four of the trial, Coull’s mother, Caroline Smith, told the jury that Mr Dingwall had come into her place of work – a shop in Fraserburgh – eight months after the crash and warned her to “watch her back”.
Giving evidence for the defence, Mrs Smith said Mr Dingwall had come in the shop sometime in November 2021 and also told her that her son “to watch his back” too.
Coull’s defence solicitor Sam Milligan asked Mrs Smith if she had then told the police in person about this, she replied: “No, I made a phone call.”
She was then asked if the police had asked to see the CCTV footage from inside the shop, she replied: “No.”
No follow-up call to police
Under cross-examination by fiscal depute Ruairidh McAllister, Mrs Smith was asked if she had followed it up with the police after her initial phone call.
She replied: “No.”
“Was there any reason for that?” he asked.
“No reason,” she replied.
Mrs Smith had also told the court about bruising on her son’s torso she had seen after his release from hospital.
Mr McAllister asked if she had taken any photos of them, and she answered: “No, I wish I had now.”
Crash investigation evidence
The trial also heard from police forensic crash investigator Pc Andrew Ramsay.
He told the court his findings concluded Coull’s black BMW would have been travelling between 90 to 110 mph at the time of the collision and that it had hit the rear of the red Fiesta on the driver’s side.
The jury were shown photographs of the two cars and the resulting damage caused to both.
Pc Ramsay explained that after the impact, the Fiesta had hit a road sign on the left-hand side of the road – demolishing the metal post – and had flipped or tumbled across the grass margin between the crash barriers and the slip road itself.
He said the BMW had stopped 255 metres away from the point of impact, twice the distance he would have expected from a car driving at 70mph, and estimated the Fiesta had been travelling between 65 and 70 mph when it was struck.
“Our assessment was that the BMW was travelling 30 to 40 miles faster than the Fiesta,” Pc Ramsay said. “With a speed range of 90 to 110mph at impact.”
Accused denies charges
When asked by Mr McAllister what the likely cause of the crash was, he replied: “There are four most likely causes – intoxication of the driver through drink or drugs, he was travelling at high speeds and failed to appreciate the existence of the Fiesta, he was distracted or had fallen asleep.”
Front seat passenger of the Fiesta, Ellen Stickle, 27, was instantly paralysed in the crash on the A90 three years ago.
She previously told the court she had struggled to accept the sense of loss of her previously sporty lifestyle after she was told by doctors she would never walk again.
Coull, of Alva Crescent, Fraserburgh, is charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving and driving whilst unfit through drink and drugs.
The trial, being heard by Sheriff Philip Mann, continues.
