A newly qualified driver who owned a powerful BMW has been convicted of causing the death of a “lovely” and “bubbly” woman by driving dangerously.
Raymond Ward, 29, passed his test three months before his BMW 218 D Sports Coupe collided with a purple Ford Fiesta being driven by Claire Anderson.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard how the horrifying smash took place on the A964 road between Kirkwall and Orphir on June 14 2019.
Motorists saw Ward driving the car on the wrong side of the road moments before the collision.
One driver was so alarmed by Ward’s driving in the moments leading up to the crash that he told the court that he thought “what the f**k are you doing, are you f**king mental?” when he saw the accused pass him.
Another witness told the court that he remarked to his passenger ‘Where’s the fire?’ when the accused executed a dangerous manoeuvre when overtaking him.
Moments later, Ward’s car drove struck Ms Anderson’s vehicle. Onlookers tried to save her life but she succumbed to her injuries.
Driver veered into opposing carriageway
On Thursday, jurors returned a verdict of guilty to a charge of Ward causing Ms Anderson’s death by dangerous driving.
The jurors returned a verdict to a charge which stated that Ward drove dangerously at excessive speed in close proximity to a vehicle being driven by Brian Corse.
He then accelerated harshly, drove around a bend at speed, before veering onto the “opposing carriageway.”
Ward then overtook a Transit van being driven by Robert Wetherall at excessive speed, and crossed again onto the other side of the road.
The motorist then continued to break road traffic laws before colliding with Ms Anderson’s car. Both vehicles suffered extensive damage.
The jurors had spent three weeks listening to evidence in a trial in which Ward, of Kirkwall, Orkney, had pleaded not guilty.
The jurors returned their verdicts after hearing a speech from prosecutor Gavin Anderson who urged them to convict the accused.
Mr Anderson said: “What is at issue is the quality of his driving. It is the position of the Crown that he drove dangerously.
“He was an accident waiting to happen.
“Mr Ward was on the wrong side of the road in the moments leading up to the collision.
“His driving led to the death of Claire Anderson. She was not in anyway to blame for what happened to her.
“His driving fell well below the required standard. His driving caused him to collide with Miss Anderson.
“I invite you to return a verdict of guilty to the charge that Raymond Ward caused the death of Claire Anderson by driving dangerously.”
Ms Anderson was 23 when she died. Following her death, friends posted tributes to her on social media. One friend wrote: “Such a lovely, bubbly person taken too soon.”
During proceedings, the court heard how Ward passed his driving test in March 2019.
On the day of the collision, he had spent the morning at a job interview at a fish farm.
He left the farm and got back into his car which he had owned for one month.
Witnesses told the car he was in “high spirits” and started listening to music when he started his journey.
The journey between the fish farm and the crash site was approximately three and a half minutes.
Jury heard accused was driving at ‘great speed’
Brian Corse told the court that the car being driven by Anderson came past him at “great speed”. He said he thought the driver must have in a hurry to catch a ferry. He told Mr Anderson that the way the car was being driven caused him concern.
Mr Corse said he was unable to say what speed the car went past him at.
But he added: “I thought ‘for f**k’s sake what the f**k are you doing? Are you f***ing mental?’ I then lost sight of it.”
Engineer Robert Wetherall,56, of London, was holidaying in Orkney with his partner Diane Stanning on the day of the crash.
He said he and Mrs Stanning had spent the earlier part of the day visiting the Italian Chapel on Orkney. He also said that he on his way to collect a bottle of whisky from the Scapa distillery when Ward passed by him.
He said he was driving at 40mph and he estimated that Ward overtook him at about 60mph.
He added: “It took me by surprise by the speed he overtook me at it. I was concerned by the sheer speed and that the manoeuvre he used to overtake me.
“I remember saying to Dianne ‘where’s the fire?’.”
Mr Wetherall said he lost sight of the BMW soon afterwards. But he told the court that he soon saw smoke.
He added: “I said to Diane, ‘the silly sod’s only gone and crashed.’”
He said he then saw that the white BMW driven by Ward had crashed. He also said that he saw Ms Anderson’s car which was badly damaged.
He added: “She was unconscious.”
Mr Wetherall said Mrs Stanning had contacted emergency services and that an ambulance arrived soon afterwards.
Mrs Stanning,51, told Mr Anderson that when she and her partner stopped, she phoned 999. She said Ms Anderson was unconscious and that the operator asked her to perform some first aid.
Mrs Stanning, a London based Investment Manager, said that Ms Anderson was taken out of her car and that she started trying to resuscitate her.
She added : “I started doing chest compressions.”
Driver says crash was worst day of his life
Ward told the court that he had lived his entire life in Orkney. He passed his driving test in March 2019, but said that when he was a boy of 10 or 11 he would drive “field cars” on private land.
He said that on the morning of June 14 2019 he was “just a bit anxious” as he had a job interview that day but afterwards was “chuffed”.
He said: “I knew I had done really well.”
Afterwards he intended to go and see his father and said: “I just thought I would take the more scenic route. It was quite a nice day.”
He agreed there was no dispute that his vehicle collided with a Ford Fiesta but said:
“The only thing I can remember is this guy to my right. He was asking if I was okay. I was just wanting to get out of the car. When I woke up I was sitting in my car.”
His counsel Edith Forrest asked what was causing his inability to recall events and he answered: “Probably the trauma.”
He said he did not remember being taken to hospital, where he was treated. He said that it was while in hospital he was told about the death.
Ward said he was “devastated” and that it was the worst day of his life.
He said: “It was never going to go away. She was never going to go back to her family.”
Following the verdict, Mr Anderson told the court that Ward had previous convictions but didn’t disclose the nature of them.
Ms Forrest said the court was obliged to call for reports into Ward’s background as he hadn’t previously served a jail sentence.
She added: “I would ask for his bail to be continued. I would also ask to reserve my mitigation and comments until the sentencing diet.”
Judge Fiona Tait deferred sentence and continued Ward’s bail.
He will be sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh on May 27 2022.
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