A Moray motorist who killed a 14-year-old passenger and seriously injured two others in a crash has failed in a bid to have his driving licence restored early.
Owen Petrie, from Keith, was given a four-year driving ban in August 2018 after he admitted causing the death of Buckie teen Neringa Narusyte by careless driving.
At the time, Elgin Sheriff Court heard an anxious passenger kept a watch on the Vauxhall Corsa’s speedometer as it hit up to 70mph on the B9016 Keith to Buckie road before hitting a car travelling in the opposite direction in October 2016.
Today the 21-year-old, who will have to pass an extended test before being able to get behind the wheel again, failed in an attempt to have his driving ban cut almost in half – claiming he needed it for his job as a welder for Network Rail.
However, Sheriff Olga Pasportnikov threw out the application while explaining Petrie, of Kelman Place in Keith, had only been spared a custodial sentence due to the pleas from Neringa’s mother.
She said: “The driving was at the upper end of carelessness because of the speed.
“He had the same job when he last appeared so he was aware of the impact the disqualification would have on his employment, his employer would also have been aware he was facing this charge.”
Solicitor Kevin Anderson explained the driving licence was preferred by Petrie’s employer due to only one other member of the team having one, but accepted it was not “essential” for the job.