News / Man reversed into pensioner while drunk
A MAN from Perth who admitted seriously injuring a pensioner after drunkenly reversing into him twice outside a Lerwick hotel will learn his fate in May.
Lerwick Sheriff Court heard on Wednesday how Roy McLuckie, of Affric Avenue, Scone, struck the 70 year old man twice – breaking five of his ribs – after getting into a works van while over three times the limit.
Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie stressed that there was “no suggestion at all that there was any deliberate attempt directed towards the complainer”.
Twenty seven year old McLuckie admitted causing serious injury in the lower part of the Shetland Hotel car park on Lerwick’s Holmsgarth Road on 8 October last year by driving a van dangerously.
He reversed at excessive speed without maintaining any rearward observation – resulting in the van striking the man and knocking him to the ground.
The charge added that after halting briefly, McLuckie reversed again, thereby driving over the man, who was still prone on the ground. This was all committed while he was under the influence of alcohol.
The man from Perth also admitted driving while he had 72 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath – the limit is 22 microgrammes – as well as taking to wheel while disqualified and uninsured.
Mackenzie said McLuckie had been out drinking in pubs before he and a colleague, who was driving a works van, went to watch a Scotland international football game at the Shetland Hotel.
After the match, the 27 year old got the keys for the van on the “pretext” that he was retrieving his mobile phone.
Witnesses who were outside smoking watched as McLuckie entered the van and began to move off.
Mackenzie said some of the onlookers were immediately concerned because they had seen him drunk in pubs earlier in the day.
McLuckie drove the van towards the car park exit, but the 70 year old man and his friend were walking nearby.
He then reversed at speed into the car park in a “sweeping motion” and hit the pedestrian.
“The complainer had no time to react and was struck by the van, and was knocked to the ground,” Mackenzie said.
The van came to a halt, pulled forward and reversed again, where it collided once again with the man.
“The van partially drove onto the prone complainer, trapping him under the rear wheel,” the fiscal continued.
The pedestrian’s friend banged on the van telling McLuckie to move forward, while another witness told the driver that he had run over someone.
Mackenzie said McLuckie then drove forward a short distance, went to the rear of the van and saw the injured man before driving the van away to a nearby MOT centre.
He walked back to the hotel after around five minutes to find the police and the ambulance service on site.
McLuckie was identified as the driver. He failed a roadside screening test before being arrested and taken to the Lerwick police station.
Mackenzie said the pedestrian was taken to hospital and was found to have suffered five broken ribs and bruising to the abdomen and face, although no surgery was required.
“The consequences could have been significantly worse,” he said. “It was fortunate that the rear [of the van] had no weight.”
Sheriff Ian Cruickshank said he would defer the case for social work reports in the first instance.
McLuckie will next appear in court on 9 May where his defence will give representation.
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