Drugged-up driver killed cyclist when ‘glasses fixed with hair bobbles fell off’

A drugged-up driver admitted to killing a cyclist after his glasses, held together by hair bobbles, fell off.

Scott MacKinnon, 47, collided with Colin McCourt head-on after he swerved onto the wrong side of the A814 Cardross Road in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, on November 10, 2020, fatally injuring the victim.

A test after the incident showed MacKinnon had "unquantified concentrations" of six different drugs in his system including street Valium, Methadone and morphine.

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McCourt, 40, was "highly visible" to others as he cycled home from his job as a mechanical engineer at the Clyde naval base, prosecutor Neil McCulloch told the High Court in Glasgow.

Mr McCulloch said MacKinnon's Volkswagen Golf "swerved" onto the wrong side of the road, mounted a kerb and then sloped partly back onto the road before hitting the front wheel of Colin's bike.

He said: "Colin McCourt travelled over the bonnet of the Volkswagen then striking the windscreen. He was thrown onto the top of a hedge before coming to rest on a footpath by the side of the road."

MacKinnon hit another car before coming to a stop after his motor spun onto its roof.

Mr McCulloch added: "There is no evidence that he applied the brakes in an attempt to slow the vehicle prior to colliding with Colin McCourt."

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Dad-of-one McCourt quickly fell unconscious and suffered a heart attack as well as serious head and chest injuries and several leg fractures.

He died at the scene, leaving behind a partner, a son, his parents and a sister.

Meanwhile MacKinnon, who has previous road traffic offences including driving without a licence or insurance, exited his vehicle and claimed he was "fine".

When questioned by one officer attending the scene, MacKinnon said: "My glasses are too loose, so I had bobbles holding them on. They must have fell off my face."

MacKinnon was described as having "slurred" and "incoherent" speech and multiple witnesses later said they believed he was "under the influence".

On the way to the police station, he fell asleep repeatedly.

Appearing in court, MacKinnon pleaded guilty to causing the death by dangerous driving.

Janice Green, defending, said: "His position is that the glasses fell from his face at the point the car swerved.

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"He bent down to pick them up. Glasses were later found in the footwell of the car and there were hair bobbles around the legs."

A statement read on behalf of McCourt's family said: "The loss of Colin is something we will never truly come to terms with.

"He was a very special person to all who knew and loved him and we miss him every day.

Sentencing was deferred until later this month for reports.

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