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Driver found guilty of causing death of Edinburgh cyclist had killed beforeAudrey Fyfe pic courtesy Scotsman.jpg

Driver found guilty of causing death of Edinburgh cyclist had killed before

Jury returns guilty verdict in case relating to death of 75-year-old Audrey Fyfe in August 2011
by Simon_MacMichael
Tue, Apr 09, 2013 10:03
10

A motorist found guilty yesterday of causing the death by careless  driving of 75-year-old Edinburgh cyclist Audrey Fyfe had been convicted of a previous offence 27 years ago.

The revelation was made after the jury returned its verdict in the case of 49-year-old Gary McCourt at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, reports The Scotsman.

At his trial, McCourt had admitted “clipping” the rear wheel of Mrs Fyfe’s bike at the junction of Portobello Road and Craigentinny Avenue in August 2011. The victim had been returning home from her daughter’s house.

He described how he saw her “somersault” through the air, but denied having committed a criminal offence.

Following his conviction, deputy procurator fiscal Lesley Smith revealed his criminal record to the court, saying; “He was convicted in 1986 of causing death by reckless driving.”

Sheriff James Scott has deferred sentencing, which will take place on 3 May, pending reports on McCourt’s character, and said: “On any view this is an extremely sad case.”

Mrs Fyfe had died two days after the incident from the injuries she sustained, and her funeral was attended by around 100 cyclists, many of them in the colours of CTC Lothians, which she had belonged to for more than half a century and where she met her husband of more than fifty years, Ian.

Following her death, Mrs Fyfe’s organs were donated to help others, in line with her wishes.

Causing death by careless driving
Audrey Fyfe
Gary McCourt
George Dalgity
Simon MacMichael

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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10 comments

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WolfieSmith | 11 years ago
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Everytime I ride out alone I wonder if it could be the day I meet one of these psychopaths. I reckon there must be a fair few cycle deaths that aren't accidents at all.

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Lungsofa74yearold | 11 years ago
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Totally agree with tankslapper too. Would change a lot of attitudes and behavior - we might even get the same level of consideration horse riders get (probably a bit optimistic here!?) 39

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Simon05 replied to Lungsofa74yearold | 11 years ago
0 likes

All new drivers should undertake cycle training during driving lessons and be made to cycle their test route.

The inevitable sick, lame and lazy should get dragged around in a cycle trailer, possibly the most frightening prospect.

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Tankslapper | 11 years ago
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I believe that all drivers in the UK should have a compulsory hour a year on a bike in rush hour on an A class road. Most I come across simply have no comprehension of what it is like being a cyclist. Making them do time on a bike in real road conditions could go a long way to addressing this...

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Luminosity replied to Tankslapper | 11 years ago
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Tankslapper wrote:

all drivers..should have a compulsory hour a year on a bike in rush hour on an A class road.

Totally agree.

It used to be said that all car drivers should have to learn about road surfaces, weather, traffic, appropriate speed etc by learning on a moped.

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swiftsquirrell | 11 years ago
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Another tradegy, unfortunately I totally agree with Animal nothing will come of it, at most 6 months to a year and then that danger will be back on our roads and the guys attitude will not have changed at all.

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Animal | 11 years ago
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He doesn't give a sh*t. Because that's the message society sends. It doesn't matter if you kill somebody using a car.

Nothing will happen to this person at all. Points on the license.

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racingcondor | 11 years ago
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Anyone else see catch the convenient use of words here -

"McCourt had admitted “clipping” the rear wheel of Mrs Fyfe’s bike"

i.e. I barely touched her, it was an accident. Shortly followed by -

"He described how he saw her “somersault” through the air"

Which suggests he drive through the back of the bike at speed. Given the result I think we know which is true.

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notfastenough replied to racingcondor | 11 years ago
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racingcondor wrote:

Anyone else see catch the convenient use of words here -

"McCourt had admitted “clipping” the rear wheel of Mrs Fyfe’s bike"

i.e. I barely touched her, it was an accident. Shortly followed by -

"He described how he saw her “somersault” through the air"

Which suggests he drive through the back of the bike at speed. Given the result I think we know which is true.

Suppose it might have felt like a mere 'clip' from inside a ton of steel box, but I'm guessing not from the vantage point of 10kgs of alu.

What I can't fathom is how, after killing someone previously, the driver could be any less than super-careful around other road users. Maybe he just doesn't give a sh*t.

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mad_scot_rider | 11 years ago
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Maybe *this* team they'll keep him off the road

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