The devastated widow of a Portuguese man knocked down on a Peterhead street just months after bringing his family to the UK has urged “bored” teenagers drivers not to treat cars as toys.
Rita Barbara and her four children moved to the port in the summer of 2015 after husband Nuno found a job at a local seafood processing plant.
But on the evening of September 3 that year, he was left fighting for his life after being knocked down by 19-year-old Shari Dunbar.
Despite the efforts of doctors he died four days later at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
On Thursday, 19-year-old Dunbar was jailed for four years for the death.
The former care worker, from Rosehearty, was also banned from the roads for seven years.
Mrs Barbara believes however that Dunbar should never be allowed behind the wheel of a car again.
“I think she should be banned from driving forever,” she said.
“I just want young people from small towns like Fraserburgh, who usually race circuits just because they are bored and they have nothing to do, to understand that cars are not toys.
“They can be weapons. What happened to my husband shouldn’t have happened and must not happen again.
“Nuno was the love of my life. I took my four kids to Fraserburgh and changed everything.
“Then all this happened two months later. I don’t know if I’ll get over this. She has ruined my life.”
At the time of the crash, Dunbar had claimed she was concerned about a former boyfriend who she alleged had been driving too close to her.
When she was later charged by police, she told them: “I’m just so sorry for it all.”
Dunbar admitted causing death by careless driving, but denied causing death by dangerous driving.
After a trial she was convicted of the more serious charge.
Dunbar will need to resit her driving test to be able to operate a vehicle again.
