A former college lecturer who admitted killing a man in a hit-and-run incident in West Dunbartonshire has been jailed for four years and four months.
Archie Dickson, 54, drove into Mark Sanders, 30, in Clydebank on 16 June 2012 before fleeing in his car. The restaurant manager died at the scene.
The High Court in Glasgow heard Dickson was driving on the wrong side of the road due to "fatigue and alcohol".
He contacted police after hearing of Mr Sanders' death.
The former Stow College lecturer admitted to a charge of causing death by dangerous driving and failing to stop at the scene.
Jailing Dickson, judge Lady Scott, said: "This is a tragic and difficult case. Mark Sanders was a popular and much loved young man, who was in the prime of his life."
Ambulance plea
At an earlier hearing, the court heard how Mr Sanders was walking on the road while returning home from a night out with friend Gordon Wilson in the early hours of morning when he was killed.
Without warning, a Mercedes car being driven by Dickson on the wrong side of the road, hit Mr Sanders.
His friend recalled him flying into the air and landing on the pavement in Milton Douglas Road, Clydebank.
After the collision, Dickson stopped his car and Mr Wilson yelled at him to call an ambulance.
The court heard that the lecturer drove off and later claimed he did not hear the shout.
A taxi driver tried to help Mr Sanders, but the 30-year-old died at the scene after suffering a serious head injury.
Later that day, Dickson visited a bistro in the city's Hyndland area where he met another regular customer, John McHugh.
Mr McHugh had earlier learned that Mr Sanders had died in a hit-and-run as he had employed the victim's mother for 25 years. His brother was also Mr Sanders' godfather.
Mr McHugh explained to Dickson that he was devastated as a family friend had been killed in a car accident in Clydebank.
The court was told that this conversation may have prompted Dickson to hand himself in.
He stopped police a short time later and confessed: "I think I have killed somebody. I knocked a guy down last night in Duntocher. I think I killed him."
Dickson took the officers to his Mercedes which was in nearby Partickhill Road.
Sleep claim
It was found to have a smashed windscreen and other collision damage.
Dickson, from the city's Knightswood area, was later detained and told police he had not been able to sleep prior to the accident and had gone out driving to "wind down and get tired".
He claimed to remember a "thump in the car" and that his wing mirror was pushed in.
He went on to say that he believed he had fallen asleep and that the thump of the collision had jarred him awake.
Dickson said he got out and saw a man standing 50 feet away. He told police nothing was said between them and he drove off.
He said the next day he could not work out how his car had been damaged until he had the conversation with Mr McHugh.
The court was told Dickson had spent the day of the accident in London on business before flying back to Glasgow that night.
Police discovered CCTV footage of him visiting the Oran Mor venue in Glasgow's west-end on his return and downing three pints of what appeared to be lager.
He was seen leaving 45 minutes before the collision.
The court was told that Dickson's driving was dangerous due to a combination of "fatigue and alcohol" and the fact he was "completely on the wrong side of the road" at the time.
Dickson had consumed alcohol although the amount was not known as he had driven off from the scene.
- Published25 April 2013
