A man has been accused of causing the death of an island vet by driving his Maserati on the wrong side of the road at speeds of up to 95mph.
Thomas Wainwright, from Valbonne in France, denied the charges when he appeared at Glasgow’s High Court yesterday, and will stand trial next year.
The Maserati Ghibli car he was driving was in collision with a van being driven by 29-year-old vet Theresa Wade on the A849 near to Craignure, on the Isle of Mull, on October 28 last year.
Wainwright is accused of causing death by dangerous driving, as well as driving while under the influence of alcohol, at speeds of up to 95mph and on the wrong side of the road.
He is also charged with failing to provide a breath sample, and is accused of performing “doughnuts” with his car, and driving the wrong way round a roundabout and on the wrong side of the road on various occasions on the island between October 24 and 27 last year.
Judge Lady Rae set trial for March next year at the High Court in Glasgow.
Miss Wade ran the island’s only veterinary practice at Fishnish.
She was travelling home from work to the Kinloch Hotel at Pennyghael, where she lived with partner Charles Pease, when the crash happened at 8.15pm.
At the time her partner Mr Pease said: “Theresa was one of life’s bright stars that burned out all too soon.
“I feel absolutely beside myself because she was a young woman with great potential who was an exemplar for all that Mull, Oban, Argyll and even Scotland could present to the world.”
She grew up on the Ross of Mull where her mother and father Mary and Trevor Wade ran Bayview Stores at Bunessan.
She went to primary school at Bunessan before attending Oban High School, where she was the dux.
Miss Wade then studied veterinary medicine at Glasgow University before taking her first job at a practice in Fort William in 2009.
In 2014 she took over the practice at Fishnish.
At the time of her death her father Mr Wade said: “It was her work and Mull that mattered to her rather than how much money she could make.
“Theresa was determined to get back to Mull and run a rural practice.
“By fluke she got there. It wasn’t on the market but Jimmy Wilson was looking for someone to take over so that he could retire. Theresa showed up at the right time.
“She was very, very popular. She loved all animals, but horses and cats were her favourite.
“She was happy to live a simple life.”
Her mother, Mrs Wade, said: “She was very caring. She was passionate about animals and her work. She absolutely loved Mull, she was so happy to go back to Mull.
“She enjoyed Fort William, but going back to Mull was like a dream come true.
“Every time we went over everybody was praising her about how good she was and what a good vet she was.”