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A plumber who smashed into and killed a cyclist after losing control of his car has escaped a jail sentence.
Father-of-one Brian Taylor, 29, suffered fatal injuries after being hit while he cycled to work in the early hours of the morning.
At an earlier hearing Stephen McKay, 35, from Dunfermline, pled guilty to causing his death by careless driving.
At Dunfermline Sheriff Court, he was sentenced to 240 hours community service and a 12 months driving ban.
Mr Taylor was on his way to his work at a Dunfermline-based bakery when the fatal collision occurred on 15 November 2008.
Lost control
When police arrived McKay told them Mr Taylor did not have his lights on and had "hit the car".
Accident investigators found tyre marks and skid marks which indicated McKay had been driving on the wrong side of the road, and had lost control.
Louise Ward, prosecuting, said post-accident analysis showed McKay had been doing up to 60mph on the unclassified Grange Road, Dunfermline, which has a limit of 40mph.
Sheriff Craig McSherry told him: "Had you been driving at a reckless speed you would be facing a charge of reckless driving.
"This quite obviously had a terrible outcome for the family of the accused, but in saying that, I do not believe the level of carelessness is substantial enough to merit a sentence of imprisonment."
'Wrong message'
However, Neil Greig, assistant director of the Institutes of Advanced Motorists Motoring Trust, said the sheriff's decision "sent out the wrong message".
He said: "People who are charged with a death because of their driving should be given a strong message that they will be punished."
McKay was also fined £260 after admitting causing a breach of the peace in August 2009.
The court heard he threatened to "smash" a customer with a three-foot steel water key, after his standard of work was questioned.
from the bbc news website
Father-of-one Brian Taylor, 29, suffered fatal injuries after being hit while he cycled to work in the early hours of the morning.
At an earlier hearing Stephen McKay, 35, from Dunfermline, pled guilty to causing his death by careless driving.
At Dunfermline Sheriff Court, he was sentenced to 240 hours community service and a 12 months driving ban.
Mr Taylor was on his way to his work at a Dunfermline-based bakery when the fatal collision occurred on 15 November 2008.
Lost control
When police arrived McKay told them Mr Taylor did not have his lights on and had "hit the car".
Accident investigators found tyre marks and skid marks which indicated McKay had been driving on the wrong side of the road, and had lost control.
Louise Ward, prosecuting, said post-accident analysis showed McKay had been doing up to 60mph on the unclassified Grange Road, Dunfermline, which has a limit of 40mph.
Sheriff Craig McSherry told him: "Had you been driving at a reckless speed you would be facing a charge of reckless driving.
"This quite obviously had a terrible outcome for the family of the accused, but in saying that, I do not believe the level of carelessness is substantial enough to merit a sentence of imprisonment."
'Wrong message'
However, Neil Greig, assistant director of the Institutes of Advanced Motorists Motoring Trust, said the sheriff's decision "sent out the wrong message".
He said: "People who are charged with a death because of their driving should be given a strong message that they will be punished."
McKay was also fined £260 after admitting causing a breach of the peace in August 2009.
The court heard he threatened to "smash" a customer with a three-foot steel water key, after his standard of work was questioned.
from the bbc news website
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