Published: Thursday, 13th December, 2007 12:30
Horror crash couple can't forgive driver
By Nicola Findlay
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John and Joanne Macdonald say they can't forgive driver Mohammed Ahmed for ruining their lives – but they were satisfied with his sentence.
Pic by: Jan van der Merwe
AN ALLOA couple left fighting for their lives at the roadside after a horrific accident say they may never be able to forgive the teenage driver who has ruined their lives.
But John and Joanne Macdonald told the Advertiser that they are relieved that 19-year-old Mohammed Ahmed, who drove off after hitting the couple on the 4 October last year, was given a custodial sentence.
Ahmed, formerly of Tullibody but now living in Cowie, appeared at Alloa Sheriff Court on Thursday and was sentenced to 12 months’ detention in a young offenders institute and was also disqualified from driving for five years.
He previously pled guilty to reduced charges of driving culpably and recklessly, colliding with John and Joanne Macdonald whilst they were using a designated pedestrian crossing in Alloa’s Greenside Street and causing them severe injury.
He further admitted to failing to stop and give his details after the accident.
John told the Advertiser, “At first I felt sorry for him, but then I thought ‘why should I?’.
“He showed absolutely no emotion in the dock and our lives will never be the same again.”
Joanne went on, “It has been unbelievable. We are still very angry about what he did to us. I am still badly affected after all this time. It really has been soul destroying.
“Not only has it affected us but it has been a huge strain on all our family. It was horrific for them and such a shock. We are just relieved that it’s all over.”
She continued, “The only reason we were out that night was because it was the anniversary of our daughter Gillian’s death.
“As well as never forgetting that we will also never forget this – it will be a double nightmare.”
The couple had just left the Old Brewery Pub when Ahmed lost control of his car and hit them, propelling them 20-30ft in the air.
Both of them had extensive injuries and Joanne spent three weeks in the Intensive Care and the High Dependency Unit at Stirling Royal Infirmary with a brain haemorrhage and a broken leg.
She then had to spend three weeks living with her daughter before she could go home.
John was in hospital for three months with multiple fractures of his pelvis, broken bones in his lower left leg and two broken ribs.
He also had internal bleeding, which was potentially life threatening, and will have to walk with a stick for the rest of his life.
Neither of them have been able to work since the accident and Joanne still suffers from severe headaches, dizzy spells and memory problems, and has to attend a head injuries clinic in Edinburgh.
John said, “We’ve gone from being an active couple who both worked to a couple simply trying to fill the days. I have worked all my life and never had a day off, and didn’t even want to retire at 65.
“It has been a huge strain on us financially since the accident. Some days I can hardly walk at all and I am on 16 painkillers a day.”
Defence solicitor, Michael Gallan, told the court on Thursday that Ahmed came from a good family background, was well-educated and was in employment. Mr Gallan added that Ahmed accepted he was driving too quickly but that “his immaturity led him to panic” and drive on after the accident, and that he felt a great deal of regret and remorse for his actions.
Sentencing Ahmed, Sheriff David Mackie said, “There is no sentence available to this court which would allow Mr and Mrs Macdonald to feel that there has been full retribution.
“I doubt if any sentence of this court will alleviate the consequences for them or help them face their difficult future together.
“I am satisfied that an appropriate financial resolution will be achieved in a different process and will not therefore be making any order for compensation. Any such award would fall short of adequate compensation, and it would be more likely to add insult to injury.”
He added that it was no exaggeration to say that the couple’s lives had been ruined by the accident both physically and mentally.
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