Tourist died after boyfriend drove on wrong side

A man who killed his girlfriend in a crash during their first holiday together has been spared jail.

Gerrit Reickmann and Melina Rosa Päprer had travelled from Germany to visit castles in the Highlands in October 2020.

The 30 year-old was driving a hire car when he drove on the wrong side of the road near Drumnadrochit and smashed head on into another vehicle.

A judge has ordered Reickmann to return to the High Court in Glasgow in six months time to provide evidence he had carried out voluntary work.

Jurors at Reickmann's trial heard how the couple had only been together five months at the time.

Reickmann had originally stood trial in Inverness accused of causing 24-year-old Ms Päprer's death by dangerous driving.

But, after two days of evidence, prosecutors accepted his guilty plea to a reduced charge.

He instead admitted causing the death by careless driving as well as seriously injuring the female driver of the other car.

Reickmann, who is now married and living in Germany, could have faced a maximum two-year jail term.

He was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow on Thursday.

Judge Lady Drummond told him: "Inquiries have been made and I understand that it is possible for you to carry out voluntary unpaid work in Germany.

"What I would expect is a minimum of 300 hours. I would expect at the next calling that you can show that to the court."

The court heard that Reickmann told police he accepted responsibility for the crash after forgetting to drive on the left.