Robert McTaggart, the driver of the council van involved in the crash that killed Scottish time trial star Jason MacIntyre, has been fined £500 and had his driving licence suspended for six months.
McTaggart pleaded guilty on Thursday, August 7 to the charge of careless driving, a lesser charge than that of culpable homicide or death by dangerous driving. He claimed that he didn’t see MacIntyre, who collided with him as he turned his van across the A82 and into a depot near Fort William in January 2008.
MacIntyre’s family criticised the sentence as being too lenient. “He [McTaggart] should be in jail,” said David MacIntyre, Jason’s father.
Jason MacIntyre was one of the country’s top cyclists, time trialling being his speciality. He represented Scotland at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and was being considered for both the Olympics and the 2010 Commonwealth Games.