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Newburgh drink-drive death crash driver James Watson jailed | Newburgh drink-drive death crash driver James Watson jailed |
(about 1 hour later) | |
A drink-driver who killed his son's best friend in a crash in Aberdeenshire has been jailed for almost nine years. | A drink-driver who killed his son's best friend in a crash in Aberdeenshire has been jailed for almost nine years. |
Window cleaner James Watson, 38, of Dunblane, admitted causing the death of Brendon Main, 19, of Aberdeen, by driving dangerously. | Window cleaner James Watson, 38, of Dunblane, admitted causing the death of Brendon Main, 19, of Aberdeen, by driving dangerously. |
The crash happened in Newburgh on 24 July 2011. | The crash happened in Newburgh on 24 July 2011. |
Judge Lord Burns jailed Watson for for eight years and nine months at the High Court in Glasgow. | Judge Lord Burns jailed Watson for for eight years and nine months at the High Court in Glasgow. |
Two other passengers in the car - Watson's 18-year-old son Levi and 17-year-old Michael Smith - were also injured in the crash. | |
The court heard Mr Main had driven Watson, his son and Mr Smith to the Ythan Hotel. | |
The plan was for Mr Main to leave his Ford Fiesta in the car park overnight and that the three teenagers would stay with Watson. | |
The court heard the group had about three rounds of drinks at the hotel. | |
However, when they left Watson decided to drive and the teenagers joined him in Mr Main's car. | |
'Find it extraordinary' | |
Witnesses described seeing the Fiesta being driven extremely fast, with noises of a loud exhaust and changing up through the gears. | |
The car crashed and spun. | |
The court heard Watson claimed he had been "distracted" by Mr Main. | |
Lord Burns said: "I find it extraordinary in you trying to shift blame onto the young man for whose death you were responsible." | |
The judge added that this made any claims of remorse "weak". | |
Lord Burns said the sentence would have been 11 years, but for the guilty plea. | |
Watson was also banned from the road for the next 15 years. |
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