Death crash detective is jailed

Morgan was sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh

A former murder squad detective has been jailed for four years after killing a man in a head-on car crash.

Colin Morgan, 38, stood with his head bowed in the dock at the High Court in Edinburgh as a judge told him that a prison sentence was inevitable.

Lord Penrose told Morgan: "The consequences for all involved have been devastating, as inevitably they must be in cases of this kind."

Morgan had already resigned from his post with Strathclyde Police.

He was earlier convicted by a jury of causing the death of Denis McDonach by driving dangerously at excessive speed and crossing onto the opposite carriageway.

The 46-year-old father died from injuries sustained in the crash on the A72 Lanark road on 29 September, 2003.

Driving on the wrong of the road without being able to see what is coming is courting disaster Bernard Ablett Prosecuting

Morgan, a former engineer, was driving to an inquiry when he overtook another vehicle approaching a blind dip in the road and hit the car being driven by Mr McDonach, of Overtown, Wishaw.

An 11-year-old boy passenger in Mr McDonach's vehicle escaped with minor injuries after the collision half a mile north of the junction with the A71 near Garrion Bridge.

The defence counsel said that Morgan, who had completed 12 years service with the Strathclyde force, was an authorised firearms officer who had previously served at the Lockerbie trial at Camp Zeist in the Netherlands.

Prosecutor Bernard Ablett earlier told the court: "Driving on the wrong of the road without being able to see what is coming is courting disaster."

Lord Penrose said that by crossing into the opposite carriageway Morgan had brought himself into a direct line for a collision with Mr McDonach's Renault Clio.

The judge said parliament had made it clear that offences of causing death by dangerous driving were to be treated as cases of the "utmost seriousness even when committed by people of otherwise impeccable character".

Lord Penrose said he had to deal with "a singular act" of gross error of judgement associated with excessive speed.

As well as the jail sentence, he banned Morgan from driving for six years and ordered that he re-sit a test before he can drive again.