The mother of a Deeside teenager killed in a car crash has been awarded £86,000 in damages – but said no amount of money would make up for her heartbreak.
Mark Scott died after his friend Jack Parkes lost control while he sped along a country road at more than 80mph.
The car they were travelling in failed to take a bend and crashed into a wall before overturning and landing in a field.
Mr Scott, 19, died instantly in the accident on the A980 Alford to Banchory road, about a mile west of the Raemoir House Hotel, in May 2010.
Parkes later admitted causing death by dangerous driving, and was locked up for 32 months.
Now, four years on, Mr Scott’s mother Dorothy-Anne has been awarded damages by a jury, but said yesterday nothing would make up for the loss of her son.
The 51-year-old said: “The money isn’t important.
“If someone gave me millions, it still wouldn’t have made any difference to the loss of my son.
“The loss is Mark, not the money.
“Losing Mark means I have lost everything in my life.”
Only child Mr Scott was due to start an apprenticeship as an aeronautical engineer later that summer, and had been planning to go to Knockhill Racing Circuit with his mother for skid control training the day after he died.
His mother said she would always remember the night her son failed to return to their home in Torphins.
She said: “I will always remember the night when I waited anxiously for Mark to come home as I knew we had to be at Knockhill the following day.
“Mark had a great apprenticeship and everything was going well for him.
“He will always be the most important person in my life.”
The award of £86,000 was made by a jury, despite a judge initially making a recommendation for damages of £45,000.
Gerry Forbes, claims manager at Quantum Claims, who represented the family, said he hoped the decision would act as a “benchmark” in similar cases.
“The law has been in a state of flux in recent years due to the disparity between awards made by judges and civil juries,” he said.
“Hopefully, this will act as a benchmark for future similar cases in Scotland.”