A drink driver who showed “staggering arrogance” after killing a popular island vet was jailed for 12 years yesterday.
Thomas Wainwright, 27, who was on the wrong side of the road, downed whisky and cider prior to the horror crash.
He drove at 95mph minutes before ploughing his Maserati into a van being driven by Theresa Wade on Mull.
Wainwright had been drinking for eight-and-a-half hours that day, but tried to blame Miss Wade, 29, for the crash.
Sentencing, Judge John Morris QC told him that he had driven at “ridiculously excessive speeds.”
He added: “Just prior to leaving your final licensed premises you were spoken to by a concerned member of the public who asked how you were getting home. Your reply was ‘The car knows it own way home.’
“A remark which is all too indicative of your general attitude to all that transpired.
“Prior to the accident you persistently drove at – quite frankly – ridiculously excessive speeds. To drive at 95.5 mph on a dark country road borders on the reckless.
“You have shown no remorse for your actions – quite the contrary – your arrogance in giving evidence and in the social inquiry report is quite staggering.”
He added: “In your evidence you sought to put the blame on Miss Wade knowing full that her family were in the court listening to you.”
Judge Morris said he had difficulty finding any mitigating factors and banned Wainwright from driving for 15 years.
Wainwright showed no emotion as he was led away to begin his sentence.
Miss Wade’s partner, Charles Pease, said: “We feel that justice has been served – the justice that we have never once faltered in believing in.
“He will have 12 years to dwell upon what he has done. I would stress however that we don’t regard the sentence as any form of revenge.
“It doesn’t bring Theresa back.
“Me, I should choose to forget Thomas Wainwright.
“I have too many happy recollections of Theresa to let Thomas Wainwright spoil them.”
Last month at the High Court in Glasgow Wainwright was convicted of causing the death of Miss Wade by dangerous driving on the A849 in Craignure, Isle of Mull, on October 28, 2015.
Witnesses from Mull told of how Wainwright, who was drinking with his mother’s partner 42-year-old Jerome Lopez, consumed five 500ml bottles of cider in a hotel, another pint of cider in a pub, two whiskies in the distillery, all Tobermory, and another two pints of cider in another hotel.
He then got behind the wheel claiming “had a clear head” and felt fine to drive.
Less than three miles down the road the crash took place.
Miss Wade died at the scene trapped in her van. The force of the impact was so great that the engine block was pushed into the cabin.
At the point of impact he was travelling at 69 mph. His speed was recorded on a ‘black box’ device fitted to the hired Maserati.
Wainwright, who worked as the first officer on the £6.26m yacht MY Mahogany based in the south of France, has a previous conviction for drinking while unfit through drink or drugs.
Defence QC Ian Duguid said Wainwright had expressed remorse, however that might not have come across to the social worker as his first language is French.
He added: “He has lost his job and now his liberty.”
