Death by careless driving

An elderly Edinburgh motorist has pleaded guilty to knocking down a Western Isles minister in the capital.

Rev Tom Sinclair was hit twice by the driver. He suffered fatal injuries and died at the scene in May last year.

The 76-year-old had been attending the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. He was walking across the entrance road to Waverley rail station, when the collision occurred.

At Edinburgh Sheriff Court, Kelman Edwards, 78, admitted causing Mr Sinclair’s death by careless driving.

Rev Tom Sinclair

The court heard Edwards was reversing but pressed down on the accelerator pedal by mistake, ploughing into Mr Sinclair.

Mr Sinclair was hit a second time as Edwards tried to manoeuvre his vehicle.

Sentence was deferred to next months for reports.

Mr Sinclair, originally from Glasgow, was the serving clerk for the Lewis Presbytery. He had also been a minister in Stornoway’s Martin Memorial Church for nearly 30 years before he retired. He and his wife Pam lived in Tarbert, Harris.

Driver pleads guilty to causing minister’s death

3 April 2015