Man who killed tragic Harlow Edwards, 2, in Coupar Angus sent ‘angry’ texts to girlfriend who he suspected of cheating moments before crash
Luke Pirie, 23, was driving at 50mph and lost control of his vehicle before mounting the pavement and crashing into a group of children in Scotland.
A MAN who killed a toddler after his vehicle struck her at 50mph was sending "angry" texts to his partner just moments before the collision.
A court heard Luke Pirie, 23, was in a "hurry" when his Ford Focus collided with Harlow Edwards, two, and two other children on a road near Perth, Scotland.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard on Friday that Pirie was in a bad mood when he left work at Scone Airport at 12.30pm on October 13, 2016.
He had spent the morning calling and texting his partner Heather Eaton who he suspected of being unfaithful to him.
After leaving work he drove to confront Heather at her home and began to drive dangerously.
Prosecution lawyer Iain McSporran QC told the court how he was seen overtaking cars in Balbeggie, Perthshire, at a speed which broke the 30mph limit.
He used his iPhone to make a Facetime call to Heather before coming to a junction with an unclassified road known locally as the C19 Coupar Angus Road.
The court heard that as he came up to the junction, three other cars had stopped on the road. The Citroen at the front of the queue was indicating to go right.
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But Pirie decided to pull out from behind the three cars and overtake the queue. However, Pirie's car then struck the Citroen as it started to make its turning manoeuvre.
The court heard that as a consequence of striking the Citroen, Pirie lost control of his car and it began to rotate in an anti clockwise direction towards the pavement. It then struck a wall and then rebounded, still rotating, back into the road where it stopped.
However, the point where it struck the wall was where the children were walking. The two other children were sent flying over the wall. Harlow sustained serious injuries and doctors reckon her death was "inevitable and rapid."
On Friday, Mr McSporran told the court how Harlow's mother is unable to cope with the loss of her daughter.
Mr McSporran said: "She has difficulty sleeping. She constantly thinks about not being with Harlow when she lost her life.
"She cries herself to sleep in the evening.
"She feels robbed of a lifetime of memories and she cannot put into the words to exactly convey the grief that she is currently suffering."
Mr McSporran was speaking after Pirie, of Forfar, pleaded guilty to causing death and injury by dangerous driving on October 13 2016.
The advocate depute told the court that Pirie appeared "worked up" as he spoke on his mobile phone.
Mr McSporran added: "Text messages were also exchanged between the couple - the vast majority sent by him.
"The accused was using his mobile phone for that purpose, from which it appears that he was of the view that she was clearly ignoring him and then that he suspected her of being unfaithful to him.
"He was clearly unhappy with her.
"At 14.46pm he texted 'I'm coming home' followed by 'cheat' and 'You've obviously done something stupid that you're afraid to talk to me.'
"He continued to send and read images and text messages after driving away from his place of work - he had not been scheduled to leave work so early.
"It is clear from the number of calls and messages and the content of those images which can be read that he was upset and angry with his partner.
"The tone of his text messages then changed to pleading with her to phone him. She sent two messages at 15.12 in strong terms telling him to 'get a grip' of himself.
"These messages were read by him at 15.17pm. Within four seconds of reading them he sent her a message stating 'I've crashed one Heather' followed five seconds later with 'Heather I've been in a crash'.
"Against the background of his being in a hurry an in angry mood whilst using a mobile phone to call, text, and engage in a Facetime call, we now come to the fatal collision which occurred some 14 kilometres after Scone Airport."
Mr McSporran told the court that Pirie was driving above the speed limit at the time of the collision.
He added: "Collision investigators calculate the minimum speed of the accused's car at the point of impact as being 50mph."
In the aftermath of the crash, eyewitnesses saw Pirie get out of his car and use his phone.
The children who survived the collision sustained brain injuries, fractured bones. Surgeons had to place a metal plate into one child's head.
The other child is reported as suffering from nightmares and anxiety.
Mr McSporran also told the court that the accused had initially denied any wrong doing.
He added: "He had denied to witnesses at the scene that he had been overtaking and said that it was not his fault but that 'they had stepped out in front of me.'
"All eye witnesses and the extensive police collision investigation attribute sole responsibility for this collision to the accused."
Defence advocate Mark Stewart QC told the court that he'd reserve his mitigation until Pirie's sentencing hearing which will take place at the High Court in Glasgow next month.
He said his client had been previously diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Depression.
He added: "He accepts his responsibility for his role in this offence. Mr Pirie also understands the likely outcome of his actions and I'm instructed to make no motion for bail."
Harlow's parents also told how they who have lost children.
were put up at the side of the road where Harlow was killed in a bid to stop drivers from speeding.
But they were removed by council bosses, sparking fury from locals.
Harlow's older sister Dionne told of her heartache at at the family home which had been bought for the youngster before her death.
Judge Lord Ericht adjourned sentence in order for the court to obtain reports.
Pirie will be sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow on October 4 2017.
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