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Cyclist killer Gary McCourt sentence 'scandalous' | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
A motorist who caused the death of a cyclist has been banned from driving for five years. | |
Gary McCourt, 49, from Edinburgh, was found guilty last month of killing Audrey Fyfe, 75, in August 2011. | Gary McCourt, 49, from Edinburgh, was found guilty last month of killing Audrey Fyfe, 75, in August 2011. |
The Cyclists Touring Club branded his punishment "scandalous", while prosecutors are considering whether the sentence was too lenient. | |
McCourt was found guilty in 1986 of causing another cyclist's death by reckless driving. | |
Edinburgh Sheriff Court had heard how McCourt, who was also ordered to carry out 300 hours of community service, told police he "clipped" Mrs Fyfe's back wheel at a junction. | |
The cyclist, who was not wearing a helmet at the time, died two days after the collision, between Portobello Road and Craigentinny Avenue on 11 August, 2011. | |
Reacting to the sentence, Mrs Fyfe's widower, Ian, told BBC Scotland: "I feel with him having killed two cyclists already he shouldn't be allowed to drive for life and I don't think that is unreasonable. | |
"How many times is he going to have to kill someone before he is banned for life? | "How many times is he going to have to kill someone before he is banned for life? |
Sheriff James Scott spared McCourt a prison because there were no aggravating factors, such as drink or drug abuse. | |
He said the collision between McCourt and Mrs Fyfe was caused because he had "momentarily" lost concentration, adding: "I take into account that the accused has repeatedly expressed genuine remorse for causing the death of Mrs Fyfe. | |
"I take into account that the accused has been ill and has suffered from depression and that he displays signs of post-traumatic stress disorder." | |
The sheriff said Mrs Fyffe "wasn't to blame in any way for the accident", but added: "She was not wearing a safety helmet and that in my view contributed to her death." | |
A spokesman for the Crown Office said it would "give careful consideration as to whether the sentence was unduly lenient". | |
Peter Hayman, of the CTC, added: "This 300 hours of community service and only a five-year ban as a sentence is scandalous and goes against the efforts to encourage cycling." | |
McCourt was jailed for two years after 22-year-old Edinburgh man George Dalgity was killed as he cycled along the city's Regent Road, on 18 October 1985. | |