A drink-driver responsible for the death of a teenager, who sent a chilling message fearing for her life moments before the fatal crash, has been sentenced to eight years in prison.
Kyle Patrick, 23, was driving at “grossly excessive speeds” when his car crashed into a field in Perthshire on 1 September 2024. His passenger, 19-year-old Erin Slane, tragically died.
During the journey, Ms Slane messaged friends, stating: “I may not survive tonight. I’m scared. Kyle is steaming.”
Patrick had previously pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury to another passenger.
He admitted repeatedly driving at “grossly excessive speeds” on the journey towards Gowrie Farm in Perthshire, losing control of the vehicle, which crossed on to the opposite carriageway, went down an embankment, hit a fence and rolled over several times in a field.
Ms Slane was so seriously injured she died at the scene while fellow passenger Keira Jones was seriously injured.
Lord Harrower sentenced Patrick to eight years behind bars when he appeared for sentencing at the High Court in Glasgow on Wednesday.
He said the incident was “no mere lapse of judgment” on Patrick’s part and that he had demonstrated a “prolonged and deliberate course of driving at grossly excessive speeds while impaired through alcohol”.
The judge said: “Erin was 19, about to start university and had her whole life ahead of her.”
He said Patrick’s actions had brought “terrible devastation” to the family and said: “No sentence of this court can alleviate their anguish.”
As part of the charge, Patrick admitted driving while his ability to do so properly was impaired because he had consumed alcohol.
The 23-year-old, of Scone, Perthshire, also admitted driving up to a taxi rank in Perth that day and offering to take people to their home addresses.
