Man guilty of girl's road death

Abigail Simpson took the full force of the crash

A young man from the Highlands has been found guilty of causing the death of a teenage girl in a crash in the far north of Scotland.

Abigail Simpson, 15, was killed when Scott Manson, 20, lost control of his car and hit a concrete pillar in Castletown, Caithness, in October 2007.

The High Court in Inverness had heard that Manson, who was 18 at the time, had only just passed his driving test.

Ms Simpson's mother said he had shattered her daughter's dreams.

After the jury found Manson guilty of causing death by dangerous driving, Ms Simpson's mother Nicola said: "Abigail will never fulfil her dreams and ambitions - she had so many.

I tried to correct myself and keep the car straight but the back end of the car swung around and hit the lamp post and pillar Scott Manson

"We knew from the beginning of these court proceedings, no matter the result, our daughter Abigail will not be coming home."

Manson had five passengers in his car, including one hidden in the boot, and was driving at about 70mph on the Thurso to Castletown road just seconds before the crash.

The apprentice mechanical engineer overtook a friend's car on two occasions on the five-mile stretch and was estimated to be travelling at 50mph as he entered Castletown.

He had told the trial: "I felt my car jolt across the road. It bounced like I had hit a kerb.

"I tried to correct myself and keep the car straight but the back end of the car swung around and hit the lamppost and pillar."

Ms Simpson was in the back seat behind the front passenger and took the full impact of the collision.

Advocate depute Keith Stewart accused Manson of "showing off" to his friends, an allegation he denied.

Manson, of St Clair Court, Castletown, said: "I feel so bad. Not a day goes past that I don't think about it."

He was found guilty by a majority and faces a jail sentence. Judge Lord Pentland deferred sentence until next month at the High Court in Edinburgh.