Drink-driver ran over his own friend after street fight

Gordon Blyth was driving his red Seat with five passengers, including friend Cameron Robertson, when they stopped outside a pub in Leith last year.

The pair left the vehicle and, after a verbal disagreement with a group of four people outside the Tam O’ Shanter pub, a fight broke out between the men.

As more people poured out from the pub due to the disturbance, Blyth got back into his car and made to do a u-turn at the city’s Great Junction Street.

But as he made the manoeuvre, Mr Robertson was pushed to the ground as he struggled with two men in the middle of the street.

Blyth’s vehicle then struck one of the men, who rolled onto the windscreen, and Mr Robertson was dragged under the wheels of the car.

Mr Robertson was trapped under the Seat and scores of people from neighbouring pubs soon appeared on the street following the crash.

Blyth, 28, then ran off, leaving his car abandoned across both carriageways, and about a dozen men were seen to lift the vehicle up so Mr Robertson could be freed from beneath its wheels.

The emergency services rushed to the scene and Mr Robertson was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment to a series of serious injuries, including broken bones.

Blyth, of Langriggs, returned to the scene about half an hour after he had fled and handed himself over to police who had attended the crash.

The incident was captured on CCTV and was shown to a jury at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last week as Blyth stood trial accused of causing serious injury to Mr Robertson.

Witness Natasha Semple told the court that the incident arose when she and friends were verbally abused by passengers in Blyth’s car when it stopped outside the busy pub in Leith.

Ms Semple said that men in her group challenged the occupants and when Blyth, Mr Robertson and two others exited the car a struggle broke out involving both groups.

The 18-year-old told the jury: “My two friends and one of the men [Mr Robertson] were in front of the car and were about to start fighting.

“The driver got into his car and I just saw it move and I saw his friend run over.

“My friend hit the bonnet and his friend went under.

“It was scary as we didn't know if he was dead or not.”

Dr Victoria Donovan, 36, also gave evidence to the court, stating she watched the drama unfold on June 24 last year from her flat nearby.

She said that when she looked out of her window she saw “a very riotous atmosphere” after pub-goers had left two pubs “en masse” following the collision.

Dr Donovan stated that about 40 people poured onto the street and “it appeared to me the driver drove over the man intentionally”.

The court heard that Blyth was breath-tested after he handed himself over to police and was found to have been almost twice the legal drink drive limit.

Following the three-day trial, Blyth was found guilty of driving at pedestrians and running over Mr Robertson, dragging him along the road under the wheels of his car at Great Junction Street, Edinburgh, by a majority decision.

He was also found guilty of a second charge of driving with 43mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath by a unanimous verdict. The legal limit is 22mcg.

Sheriff Donald Corke deferred sentence to July 18 for the preparation of social work reports.