 The court heard the girls were thrown from the car |
A drunk driver who caused the deaths of two women passengers in an accident in Aberdeenshire has been jailed for five years at the High Court in Edinburgh. James Smith, 25, admitted causing the deaths of Pamela Stevens, 18, and Louise Hastie, 17, while more than twice the legal drink-drive limit.
Smith's car went into a roll after he hit the verge while rounding a bend on a road near the village of St Combs.
Both women were thrown from the vehicle and died at the scene of the accident.
'Disastrous and tragic'
The accident happened at about 0100 GMT on 18 January this year just outside the women's home village of St Combs.
Jailing Smith, Lord Bracadale said he accepted that he had shown genuine and deep remorse for his actions.
But the judge added that he had to recognise that two young women had lost their lives as a result of his driving.
Lord Bracadale said that the case was another example of the disastrous and tragic consequences of a car crash of this kind.
And he noted that the effect on the victims' families had been profound.
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