Driver who caused East Kilbride girl's death gets community sentence Published duration 23 January

image copyright Spindrift image caption Kieran Kennedy admitted he was to blame for the crash

A newly-qualified driver convicted of causing the death of a 15-year-old girl on a pedestrian crossing has been ordered to carry out unpaid work.

A judge told Kieran Kennedy that he was "fortunate" that he was not jailed.

Kennedy, 21, of Chapelton, passed his test weeks before his car hit Megan Scott in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire.

At the High Court in Glasgow he was sentenced to 300 hours' unpaid work and banned from driving for four years.

Kennedy was originally charged with causing Megan's death by dangerous driving - but was convicted of the lesser charge of causing death by careless driving.

Sentencing, Judge Lord Armstrong told Kennedy: "It was a single careless manoeuvre involving momentary inattention.

"You have accepted responsibility. You now have a high court conviction against your name. I am not going to impose a custodial sentence. You should count yourself fortunate."

image copyright Scott family image caption Megan Scott was hit on a pedestrian crossing

The court had previously heard Megan was on her phone and wearing headphones when she was struck by Kennedy's black Volkswagen Sirocco on 18 October 2017.

The impact came one second after the traffic lights changed from amber to red.

The jury was shown video footage which showed Kennedy only braking after the traffic lights had turned to red.

'Thrown into the air'

But they also heard that Megan, from East Kilbride, had started crossing before the green light for pedestrians came on.

The force of the impact threw her onto the bonnet of Kennedy's car and into the air. She landed close to a stationary bus.

In evidence, Kennedy admitted he was to blame for the crash.

The former rail track maintenance worker, who has been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and depression, told the jury: "I've thought about that day every day. It's the only thing I think about."

The court was told that Kennedy has not driven since May 2018.