Death crash driver fails to win back licence early

A drink-driver who caused a friend's death in a crash in 2014 has failed to win back his licence early.

Murray Geddes got behind the wheel because he was fed up waiting for a taxi but passenger Graeme McKenzie died in the crash on the A941 in Moray.

Geddes was jailed for nine years and banned for 12 years, but these terms were cut on appeal to a six-year jail term and an eight-year ban.

The Court of Criminal Appeal refused to restore his driving licence early.

Geddes, from Aberlour in Moray, was 37 when he admitted causing the death of Mr McKenzie, also 37, by driving dangerously on the Craigellachie to Rothes road.

A driver who was overtaken by Geddes, now 43, later said: "I would say it was like a speed demon."

A witness saw the car fail to negotiate a bend and leave the road. It became airborne and spun three times.

Mr McKenzie, an offshore worker from Rothes, was thrown from the vehicle.

Solicitor advocate Iain Paterson asked the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh to restore Geddes's driving licence early.

Mr Paterson told the court that his client used to be an offshore worker but had lost his job.

He said Geddes had started up his own decorating business and relied upon lifts from an employee.

However, judges Lord Menzies, Lord Malcolm and Lord Woolman refused to grant the request.

Lord Menzies said: "We consider that the original offence of which he was convicted of was so serious and of such gravity that it would not be appropriate to grant removal of this disqualification.

"The petitioner has already had the benefit of the original sentence, which included 12 years disqualification, being reduced on appeal to eight years and we do not consider having regard to the gravity of the original offence that it would be appropriate to grant this petition."