Former footballer jailed over Fife hit and run death

A former footballer has been jailed for two years over a fatal hit and run.

Ex-Montrose FC player Craig Smart, 44, hit Army veteran Dave McArthur on a zebra crossing outside Tesco Express in Cardenden, Fife, in November 2019.

Mr McArthur, a 43-year-old father-of-two, suffered a severe head injury after being thrown almost 10m (33ft). He died in hospital two days later.

Smart was sentenced at the High Court in Stirling after being found guilty of causing death by careless driving.

The floor layer was described by a witness as driving his employer's white Ford Transit van at "excessive speed" before "a loud bang". Police estimate the speed at between 20mph and 27mph.

A police collision investigator said he had "failed to observe, or react to, Mr McArthur on the zebra".

After the collision, Smart phoned his girlfriend and said: "I've hit someone", jurors were told. She replied: "Don't run."

The court heard Smart left the scene eight-and-a-half minutes later, without waiting for the emergency services. He abandoned the van nearly four miles away in Kirkcaldy.

It later emerged he committed three speeding offences while on bail over Mr McArthur's death.

Smart had originally faced a charge of causing death by dangerous driving, but a jury found him guilty of the lesser charge of causing death by careless driving, for which the maximum possible jail term is five years.

A charge of being unfit to drive through drink or drugs at the time of the incident was withdrawn by the prosecution.

However, Smart was found guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice by leaving the scene and turning off his phone in a bid to prevent arrest and assessment of his capability to drive.

Judge Lord Scott said this was a significant aggravating factor.

He told Smart: "It must have been entirely obvious to you that you should have remained at the scene for necessary road traffic procedures, if not out of basic human decency."

The death of Mr McArthur, who also provided support to people with addictions, left a "huge hole" in the family, his wife told the court.

The fatal hit and run happened just a year short of the couple's 20th wedding anniversary.

Mr McArthur's sister Debbie spoke of being left in "a black hole of grief".

During the trial, former care worker Agnes Smith, 63, described Smart as "too calm" in the immediate aftermath of the crash.

She told the jury: "His eyes were big. It was as if he was on something, but I didn't smell drink.

"He lit up a cigarette, then he was away."

Smart was also banned from driving for six years and will be required to resit his test before driving again.