An offshore worker has been banned from the roads after he admitted killing a north-east pensioner by driving carelessly.
Gordon Stewart was driving to work on the morning of December 2, 2014 when he struck Helen Filson leaving her with serious head injuries .
The 42-year-old, originally from Lossiemouth, was only minutes from his home when he hit the 81-year-old with his silver Audi A4 on the junction between Colpy Road and Eavern Place, in Oldmeldrum.
Following the crash Mrs Filson- who had spearheaded a campaign for better rights for older people after witnessing her husband’s decline in a care home – appeared to be conscious and talking.
However, due to complications of her injuries which were caused on impact she died in hospital two days later.
Yesterday Stewart appeared at the High Court in Aberdeen charged with causing the death of the great-grandmother by driving dangerously.
It was alleged the oil worker had driven his car while his windows were affected by frost, ice and condensation causing his vision to be severely restricted.
However prosecutors accepted to remove that element from the charge and accepted his plea to causing the pensioner’s death by driving carelessly having failed to see her and react to her presence.
The court heard the incident took place at about 8.15am as Stewart turned right onto Eavern Place.
Advocate depute, Bruce Erroch said Mrs Filson – a widowed mother-of-three – was thrown onto the “wing” of the car, hitting the windscreen before falling onto the road.
He said following the crash Mrs Filson was found to be bleeding due to a injury on the right-hand side of her head but she was still able to speak.
The court heard Stewart – who was at the time an assistant oil and gas construction manager -got out of the car and flagged down the driver behind him.
Mr Erroch said Mrs Filson had appeared “relatively lucid” at the time and was talking.
He added: “Mr Skene (the witness) left his vehicle and went to assist. Injury wasn’t immediately apparent. The accused appeared visibly upset and shaken. He said ‘I just didn’t see her’.
“The accused placed his jacket behind her head. She appeared relatively lucid and complained of pain to her shoulder.
“She was bleeding because of injury to the right hand side of her head.”
An ambulance arrived at 8.30am and took Mrs Filson to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
However, on arrival at the hospital, staff noticed a “sudden deterioration” in her condition and she was given an urgent CT scan which showed she was suffering from a significant brain bleed.
Mr Erroch said the injury was deemed as being “non-survivable” and she was given palliative care before dying on December 4, 2014.
A post-mortem examination revealed Mrs Filson’s most “significant” injury was a large haematoma to the right hand side of her brain – said to have been caused by the physical and emotional stress of the collision.
However, the examination also found evidence of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), which causes the blood vessels to become more prone to haemorrhage.
Mrs Filson also suffered a skull fracture, bruising to her head, neck, right and left arms and shoulder; and three right-side fractures to her chest wall.
Mr Erroch said Mrs Filson had been wearing dark clothing and was walking “slowly” with the aid of a walking stick at the time of the crash.
The court heard Stewart had cleared the driver-side window of his car of frost on the morning of the incident, and that speed was not a factor.
Defence Dale Hughes said Stewart, whose address was given as Forsyth Drive, Oldmeldrum, had been suffering depression and anxiety since the incident.
He added that in October last year he was made redundant from his job in the oil and gas industry.
Mr Hughes asked Lady Stacey to consider that Mrs Filson was wearing “dark clothing on an immediately dark background, causing her to potentially merge into the background”.
He added: “His speed and manner of driving is not an issue, I don’t think that is disputed amongst parties.
“Whilst accepting this momentary inattention it does appear Mr Stewart was understandably distressed, and I am told I can assure my ladyship this matter lies heavily over Mr Stewart’s head.
“Mr Stewart at this stage does express his sincere regret (and) remorse to the family of the deceased for this incident and its aftermath.”
Sentencing Stewart, Lady Stacey said he had been “driving in a manner which fell below that of a competent and careful driver”.
She added: “Your careless driving brought about the death of an elderly lady. (It is) accepted although her medical situation might have made her pre-disposed to a haemorrhage, it happened there that day because of the car accident.
“Nothing I can say or anything you can do or say can take away the grief Mrs Filson’s family must feel at their mother’s death.
“This is a sad and tragic case for concerned.”
He was disqualified from driving for 12 months, and told he would have to re-sit his test after this time elapsed. Stewart was also fined £1,000.
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