Great-grandfather killed after driver crashed into garden in stolen supercar

A driver with more than 90 previous convictions admitted causing the death of a great-grandfather after crashing into a garden and hitting him with a stolen Italian supercar.

Fraser Garden, 55, entered a car showroom in Broughty Ferry, Dundee, on 13 April and stole a high-powered Maserati parked in the forecourt.

In what a judge described as an "appalling episode of driving", Garden then hit speeds in excess of 80mph through a residential area of the town.

Garden also jumped a red light, drove on the wrong side of the road and overtook other vehicles towards oncoming traffic.

Garden lost control of the vehicle at a bend at the junction of Forthill Road and Nursery Road, less than 750m from the showroom.

He clipped a kerb, struck a traffic island and then ploughed through a hedge into a garden where former taxi driver John Bell, 74, was doing some work for a neighbour.

The front of the car struck the pensioner before pinning him against the wall of the house, leaving him with "non-survivable" injuries.

Advocate depute Graeme Jessop KC told Edinburgh High Court on Friday that just 3.3 seconds before the crash Garden had been travelling at 85mph.

When the Maserati struck the house, it was still doing 34mph.

Mr Jessop told the court that emergency services quickly arrived on the scene, where Mr Bell, also known as Jack, was found to have no sign of life, having suffered "multiple blunt force injuries".

When police arrested Garden on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, he was said to have replied: "Sorry."

The lawyer also told the court Garden had 90 previous convictions including "numerous" motoring offences, and that he had been under three separate disqualifications from driving on the day of the incident.

Garden pleaded guilty to five charges, including theft of a motor vehicle, causing death by dangerous driving, and driving without insurance.

He also admitted driving while disqualified and failing to provide a blood sample for drugs testing.

Judge Lord Braid told Garden: "First of all this is a truly appalling piece of driving. I think at this stage a lengthy custodial sentence is inevitable."

He added: "To be honest, it is such an appalling episode of driving that every last piece of information I can get can only assist."

The court heard Mr Bell had three children, 10 adult grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

The judge thanked Mr Bell's family, some of whom were present in court, for submitting four separate victim impact statements.

Garden attended the hearing via video link and appeared to cover his face with his hands as the detail of his offending was read out.

Read more from Sky News:
Southport killer charged with multiple assaults on prison staff
Fraudster tracked down by Sky News in Tenerife arrested on return to UK

Mr Jessop told the court that, on the day of the incident, Garden had seen the unlocked Maserati car while wandering around the forecourt and showroom area of the West End Garage.

The vehicle belonged to the garage's director, who had purchased it five years earlier for £70,000, and it was estimated to be worth £40,000 on the day of the fatal incident.

The court was shown photos taken after the crash, which showed the front of the supercar crumpled beyond recognition, with Mr Jessop saying it had been "irreparably damaged".

A member of Mr Bell's family could be heard sobbing in the public gallery when the image was shown on the screen.

Garden is due to be sentenced on August 21.

(c) Sky News 2026: Great-grandfather killed after driver crashed into garden in stolen supercar