Drink driver admits fatal crash

The High Court in Edinburgh heard Connelly was a serial drink driver

A disqualified teenage driver, who had been drinking, crashed into a wall killing a passenger, a court has heard.

Alexandra Connelly, 19, admitted a number of charges including causing death by dangerous driving and drink driving in Dundee last July.

Sandra Muir, 44, a mother-of-two, died from head injuries. Mrs Muir had just been given the all-clear after brain tumour surgery.

Connelly, from Dundee, was remanded in custody and sentence was deferred.

The part-time cleaner, of Burnside Court had been driving three women from Fat Sam's nightclub in Dundee when police tried to stop her.

She sped away at speeds of up to 70mph, raced through two red lights and continually crossed onto the wrong side of the road.

It has been extremely stressful for her particularly because she has been consumed by guilt and grief Shanti Rao Defence agent

A CCTV clip was played to the court which showed Connelly's Vauxhall Astra bouncing off a brick wall in Dundee's Logie Street.

The door beside Mrs Muir, of Balgarthno Road, Dundee, flew open and sparks were seen as the car skidded across the road and crashed again.

Connelly fled from the scene but was quickly caught by police officers and detained.

Bloody scene

Two of the passengers, aged 17 and 36, suffered only cuts and bruises, but Mrs Muir was found covered in blood lying half in the road with her legs and feet still in the vehicle.

Advocate Depute Brian McConnachie told the court that Mrs Muir, a domestic assistant at Ninewells Hospital, had just been given the all-clear from a brain tumour operation.

On the night of the crash, Mrs Muir had been at a barbecue and had later gone out in Dundee with three women including Connelly, who was a friend of her son's girlfriend.

The court heard that Connelly, who was found to have 51 mg of alcohol in 100 ml of breath, was a serial drink driver who had been banned from driving only two weeks before the accident.

Bail refused

Defence counsel Shanti Rao said that Connelly had asked her to apply for bail on her behalf because she was struggling to cope at Corton Vale.

She expected a jail sentence, she said, but wanted to "straighten her head" before it began.

"It has been extremely stressful for her particularly because she has been consumed by guilt and grief," Miss Rao said.

Lord Kinclaven refused bail and deferred sentence for background reports.