Death race driver locked up

The court heard that Graham's career is over

An off-duty soldier who drove "like a maniac" before a crash which killed his teenage friend has been locked up for four years.

Steven Fraser died when the car driven by James Graham went out of control and rolled into a field.

Graham, 19, was on leave from the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards when the incident happened on 9 August last year.

He had been racing another driver on the A96 Elgin to Alves road in Moray but his car struck a verge and rolled into a field

This kind of driving is mad and stupid and you still see it week after week - you will never get the message across

Jeannie Fraser
victim's mother

Graham and three of his four passengers, including Mr Fraser, were thrown out of the car.

Mr Fraser, 18, suffered the worst injuries and died later in hospital.

Graham was sentenced to four years in a young offenders' institution and banned from driving for 10 years.

Sentencing him at the High Court in Aberdeen, Lord Morrison said: "You engaged in a simply shocking course of driving which ultimately resulted in the death of one of your passengers.

"You are guilty of a callous and wicked disregard for the safety of members of the public in pursuit of your own selfish and immature wish to show off and obtain some kind of cheap thrill from driving like a maniac on public roads."

Co-accused Steven Young, 25, was given 240 hours' community services as the court heard that he stopped racing before the crash.

Dangerous driving

The court heard that the two cars were travelling at 80mph and at one point Graham took a roundabout the wrong way.

Graham admitted dangerous driving and taking part in a race.

The court heard that Graham's Army career lay in ruins as he faced being discharged.

Speaking outside the court, Mr Fraser's mother Jeannie, 61, said: "Nothing will bring back Steven but we do feel a sense of justice - the sentences are more than we expected. But our son has lost his life.

"This kind of driving is mad and stupid and you still see it week after week - you will never get the message across."

"These two will probably not do it again - but others will."