Community order for Inverness teen driver who caused fatal crash

A teenage driver who caused the death of his best friend has been sentenced to carry out a community payback order and banned from driving for five years.

Connor Lawless was speeding on the A9 near North Kessock, Inverness, when he braked heavily and caused a three-vehicle crash in December 2019.

His front-seat passenger, 16-year-old Gregor McIntosh, suffered fatal injuries and died later in hospital.

Lawless, of Inverness, had passed his driving test just months earlier.

He was made the subject of a two-year community payback order and banned from driving at the High Court in Aberdeen.

Lawless pleaded guilty last month at a hearing to a charge of causing death by careless driving.

The earlier hearing heard how Lawless - then 17 - had picked up his friend before driving his Vauxhall Corsa north on the A9.

Prosecutor Stephanie Ross said he then failed to comply with road signs to use a filter lane for vehicles turning right.

He braked heavily, causing his car to be hit by a Nissan Juke. Lawless then struck a Volkswagen Polo driven by a 77-year-old woman, who was injured.

Investigators concluded the first collision was caused by Lawless braking suddenly.

Stuart Thomson, 50 - who was driving the Nissan Juke - was unable to avoid hitting the Corsa as he was travelling too close to Lawless.

Ms Ross told the hearing how Lawless passed his test in July 2019 and was still classed as a new driver at the time.

Thomson, of Muir of Ord, was admonished after he pleaded guilty to careless driving. He had five penalty points added to his licence.