Crash death children's mercy call

Green was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow

The children of a couple who died in a motorway accident brought tears to a judge's eyes by pleading for mercy for the driver who caused the crash.

Rae and Alison Younger said they had forgiven Dennis Green over the death their parents Alan and Celia.

They wrote to the court pleading for him to be spared a jail sentence.

The 56-year-old lorry driver was fined £1,500 and banned for five years after being convicted at the High Court in Glasgow of careless driving.

Green's lawyer said his client had been "overcome by the generosity of spirit shown by the family".

The trial judge, Lord McEwan, said the statement from the family had shown a "compassion and generosity of spirit" which he had rarely experienced.

Burst into flames

The Youngers were killed in October 2002 when a lorry ran into their car at roadworks on the M74 in South Lanarkshire.

The couple, from Lockerbie, were trapped in the vehicle, which burst into flames.

Mr Younger, 52, was headmaster of Dalbeattie Primary School and his wife Celia, 50, was a teacher at Elmvale Primary in Annan.

Green, from Kirkcaldy, stood trial at the High Court in Glasgow accused of causing their deaths by dangerous driving.

It is hard for me to look at this letter without my eyes filling up or my voice becoming difficult Lord McEwan

The lorry driver could have been jailed for up to 10 years if he had been found guilty.

However, the jury convicted him of the lesser charge of careless driving, which does not attract a prison sentence.

Defence solicitor Gerry Allan revealed details of the letter after the verdict was announced.

"Their generosity of spirit is quite remarkable," he said.

He said the deaths had left his client with "a lifetime of guilt".

Lord McEwan said it was very rare to have received such a letter.

'Quite uplifting'

"They were quite adamant that if there was a conviction of dangerous driving they would not have wanted this man to be sentenced to imprisonment," he told the jury.

"It is really quite uplifting to learn that there are such people alive in Scotland today, and it is hard for me to look at this letter without my eyes filling up or my voice becoming difficult."

Rae Younger, a 25-year-old design engineer who now lives in Annan, said he and his 23-year-old sister had been "absolutely devastated" by their parents' death.

"But as time went by we realised that what happened had been a terrible accident," he said.

We believe that Dennis Green and his family should be afforded the opportunity of rebuilding their lives as soon as possible Rae Younger

"We were conscious that if Dennis Green was found guilty of causing our parents' deaths as a result of dangerous driving, he may receive a prison sentence.

"We both hoped that such a sentence could be avoided and wrote a letter to the court through our solicitor."

He said that they felt no animosity towards Green.

"We believe that he will also retain the memory and live with the consequences of this tragic accident for the rest of his life.

"We also believe that Dennis Green and his family should be afforded the opportunity of rebuilding their lives as soon as possible.

"When we wrote the letter we had no desire whatsoever to interfere with the judicial process. We hoped our own feelings might be helpful to the judge in considering matters," he said.