Woman who killed 'love of her life' by running him over spared jail

A 21-year-old woman who killed her partner by running him over has managed to avoid a prison sentence.

Grace Ross, who hails from Leslie, Scotland ran over her 18-year-old boyfriend, Joshua Kerr, near the farm he worked at in May 2020. The tragic incident occurred after the couple had an argument and Ross got back into her car to drive away.

She accelerated harshly and went on to do a three-point turn on the narrow road and hit Kerr, who was not near the vehicle initially, per the report in The Mirror. The car struck him hard enough to knock him down on his back, following which both offside wheels of Ross's car went over his legs and skull.

The woman then ran out screaming and rushed to help her partner and called 999. Kerr was given first aid by Ross, but his head injury was so severe that he did not survive.

Ross appeared for sentencing at the High Court in Edinburgh on Monday. She had earlier pleaded guilty to causing Joshua's death by careless driving.

"Miss Ross continues to grieve for the loss of her boyfriend, her partner, for the love of her life. She has never been anything other than deeply sorry for the events that happened that day," her lawyer, Donald Findlay QC, told the court.

He added that his client had suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder since the incident and that she was genuinely remorseful for causing her partner's death. He urged the court to not send her to jail, stating that it was not in the public interest.

Announcing the sentence, the judge said that the circumstances of the collision and its aftermath meant Ross could be dealt with by a community payback order.

"You stopped your car, got out of the vehicle and contacted the emergency services. You administered first aid to Mr. Kerr," said Lord Braid.

"I have also taken into account the remorse that you expressed which I accept is genuine. I have come to the view that there is a suitable alternative to imprisonment. I will impose a community payback order of 300 hours of unpaid work which will have to be completed within 18 months," he added.

The judge also took into account Scottish Sentencing Council Guidelines for people under the age of 25. The guidelines mandate that a young person should only be sent to jail if no other sentence is available.