Motorcyclist who left friend in wheelchair for life after crash jailed
Callaghan had driven at excessive speed and struck a kerb while he had a small trace of alcohol in his system.
Mr Gaughan was hospitalised for six months and was found to be paralysed below the chest.
He also suffered further "life changing" injuries which included a number of fractures to his body.
Dad-of-three Callaghan pleaded guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to causing serious injury to Mr Gaughan by dangerous driving.
READ MORE:
Man and woman jailed for Paisley flat murder
Fraudster who conned luxury businesses with 'Scottish tea' jailed
Sheriff John McCormick said: "You were a disqualified driver at the time which is an aggravating factor.
"Due to Mr Gaughan's injuries, you are realistic that there is no alternative to a subtantial custodial sentence.
"You were 30 at the time and not an immature teenager - you chose to drive in that manner."
The sheriff also disqualified Callaghan from driving for a period of eight years.
The court earlier heard that Callaghan, of the city's Knightswood, was driving the Yamaha off-road bike to a field at 10.19pm.
Prosecutor Victoria Keel said: "He drove at excessive speed and sharply braked and collided with a pavement.
"The bike became airborne and it collided into a metal fence which caused Mr Gaughan to be propelled into the air.
"He travelled seven metres before he landed on the ground."
Both men - who were not wearing protective helmets - were found severely injured at the scene.
Mr Gaughan was conscious and breathing but did not react to pain.
He was taken to hospital where he was found to have sustained a string of injuries described as "life changing."
This included a fracture to his vertebrae, a scalp bone fracture, a nasal bone fracture as well as scarring to his neck.
Miss Keel added: "He suffered complete paralysis below his chest which will be life long.
"He will be a full-time wheelchair user and will require assistance to his bed, a car and the toilet.
"His left hand is weak and will need assistance to carry out daily activities for the rest of his life."
The fiscal depute further stated that there is a risk of a spinal cord injury and there was an injury to his blader and bowel.
The hearing was told that Callaghan also sustained injuries which included a broken arm and fractured pelvis.
An alcohol test on Callaghan showed that he had a minor amount in his system but not enough to take him over the drink drive limit.
Calum Weir, defending, told the sentencing: "He knows a catastrophic error of judgement has had a devastating impact on two families."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Conman who scammed five-star hotels with fake tea plot jailed after web of lies
Thomas Robinson, 55, has been jailed for three and a half years after he conned top luxury hotels, shoppers and farmers with fake tea plants that he claimed were from the Scottish Highlands He claimed to have lived in the Amazon, been bitten by a deadly snake, dodged bullets on the Thailand-Burma border, and even invented the bag for life. But in reality, Thomas Robinson, 55, was nothing more than a conman in what people are dubbing the ' most British' crime of the year. Robinson, the man behind an elaborate £550,000 tea scam, has been jailed for three and a half years after duping luxury hotels, elite shoppers and even farmers with his fake Scottish brews. Trading as The Wee Tea Plantation, Robinson claimed his brew was grown in the Scottish Highlands, including Perthshire and Dumfries and Galloway. But a court heard how the leaves were actually purchased from wholesalers in Oxford - and likely originated from India or Sri Lanka. Among his high-profile victims were Edinburgh's Balmoral Hotel and London's Dorchester, where his so-called Highland Green, Silver Needles, and Scottish Antlers teas made it onto luxury menus. Calling himself Tam O'Braan, the convicted conman boasted of being a former bomb disposal expert, chemist, agronomist, and Army veteran. He even told one glossy magazine he'd lived in a canoe, been shot at, and bitten by a snake. At one point, he even bragged his tea was the Queen's favourite. His story was so convincing it even fooled BBC News, which featured his "Scottish tea success" in articles and a podcast. But in court, his fantasy life was branded the "CV of a fantasist". The scam ran for five years from 2014, until suspicious tea growers began asking questions. Richard Ross, who bought 500 plants from Robinson in 2015, noticed his crops were failing. Then he spotted Robinson's brands on the Balmoral's prestigious Palm Court menu. "I heard about the Balmoral tea list and decided to have a look," Ross said. "He'd taken names of genuine plantations - but no one involved in the actual plantations had heard they were selling to The Balmoral. That's because none of them had produced any tea." By 2017, authorities including Food Standards Scotland and Perth and Kinross Council were on the case. They discovered Robinson had no food processing licence - and no local tea, either. He didn't just target posh hotels. Robinson also duped would-be tea growers, flogging them plants he claimed were "specially engineered" to thrive in Scotland's chilly climate. They were actually imported from Italy. He defrauded a dozen genuine tea growers in Scotland and one from Jersey by supplying them with 22,000 plants at £12.50 each. In reality, the plants cost £2. Many of the plants died or failed to thrive while Robinson made almost £275,000 from the sales, the BBC reports. In court, Robinson claimed he'd developed a "special biodegradable polymer" to make tea grow faster. Prosecutors said it looked just like a black bin liner. Lead investigator Stuart Wilson, from FSS, said: "He'd created such a story that people were taken along. Once we started digging into it, it was quite clear that not only could the quantity of tea not be grown, but the plants he sold couldn't have been grown either in the quantities claimed." He added: "There were a lot of false claims. He built his lies on top of lies." Sentencing at Stirling Sheriff Court was delayed after Robinson's lawyer quit. He represented himself in court, apologising and blaming "hubris and arrogance" for his actions. But Sheriff Keith O'Mahony said the scam was "not victimless" and involved "significant and persistent planning". The Balmoral Hotel, duped into selling Robinson's bogus blends, said it was left "shocked and devastated" by the scandal. General manager Andrew McPherson said: "We work hard to support local Scottish food producers... To have been deceived in such a calculated manner left us all profoundly disappointed and embarrassed." He added: "As general manager, I would like to extend my sincerest apologies to everyone affected by this tea incident, particularly our loyal guests, who trusted in the authenticity and quality of our offerings."
The Herald Scotland
2 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Boffin denies being corrupt, but admits being incompetent
Just hours before his debate on tackling the menace of wayward seabirds, Mr Ross hauled Professor Iain Gillespie, former principal of the University of Dundee, in front of the Education Committee for what turned out to be a three-hour kicking. In all my years watching Holyrood debates, I've never seen a mauling quite like this. READ MORE: It's not just that the MSPs on one of Holyrood's most dysfunctional committees were well briefed and at the top of their game, and working well together. But I cannot remember a witness more out of their depth and underprepared than Prof Gillespie. I don't think we can rule out the possibility that he was in the Parliament for a tour and just wandered into Committee Room 4 by accident. You have to wonder why he put himself through that. Sure, under Section 23 of the Scotland Act, the Scottish Parliament has the power to require any person to attend a committee to give evidence, but compelling someone to come along is a massive pain in the hoop. He could have said no. He should have said no. It would have made him look like he had something to hide, yes, but I'm not sure his evidence will have convinced anyone otherwise. Here's another top tip if you're ever hauled in front of a Holyrood committee — and it applies in other circumstances too — if someone asks you if you are corrupt or incompetent, you can say you're neither. You do not have to choose one or the other. And if you are going to choose one of the two, don't, as Prof Gillespie did, take a second or two to think about it. What did we learn from the startling session? That Prof Gillespie's plea for a knighthood was a joke, and that despite going on 11 foreign trips in two years, flying first class, and staying in five-star hotels at the university's expense, he is not a 'good time Charlie'. And that nothing should be read into the fact that when he quit he left his keys and staff card on a book called The Spy and the Traitor. Sure. He was asked a number of times if he thought he should pay back the £150,000 golden goodbye. It was, he said, not in his 'thought process' to give back the cash, but that he would 'reflect' on it. It was a brutal session. If this is what Douglas Ross is like with incompetent academics, just imagine what he'll be like if a herring gull ends up in charge of the new Qualifications Scotland body.
Glasgow Times
2 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Motorcyclist who left friend in wheelchair for life after crash jailed
Scott Callaghan, 31, propelled pillion passenger Paul Gaughan into the air in Glasgow's Anniesland on August 17, 2023. Callaghan had driven at excessive speed and struck a kerb while he had a small trace of alcohol in his system. Mr Gaughan was hospitalised for six months and was found to be paralysed below the chest. He also suffered further "life changing" injuries which included a number of fractures to his body. Dad-of-three Callaghan pleaded guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to causing serious injury to Mr Gaughan by dangerous driving. READ NEXT: Highest civil court issues decision in Tommy Sheridan's case against council READ NEXT: Former Catholic priest admits repeated abuse of boy more than 40 years ago Sheriff John McCormick said: "You were a disqualified driver at the time which is an aggravating factor. "Due to Mr Gaughan's injuries, you are realistic that there is no alternative to a subtantial custodial sentence. "You were 30 at the time and not an immature teenager - you chose to drive in that manner." The sheriff also disqualified Callaghan from driving for a period of eight years. The court earlier heard that Callaghan, of the city's Knightswood, was driving the Yamaha off-road bike to a field at 10.19pm. Prosecutor Victoria Keel said: "He drove at excessive speed and sharply braked and collided with a pavement. "The bike became airborne and it collided into a metal fence which caused Mr Gaughan to be propelled into the air. "He travelled seven metres before he landed on the ground." Both men - who were not wearing protective helmets - were found severely injured at the scene. Mr Gaughan was conscious and breathing but did not react to pain. He was taken to hospital where he was found to have sustained a string of injuries described as "life changing." This included a fracture to his vertebrae, a scalp bone fracture, a nasal bone fracture as well as scarring to his neck. Miss Keel added: "He suffered complete paralysis below his chest which will be life long. "He will be a full-time wheelchair user and will require assistance to his bed, a car and the toilet. "His left hand is weak and will need assistance to carry out daily activities for the rest of his life." The fiscal depute further stated that there is a risk of a spinal cord injury and there was an injury to his blader and bowel. The hearing was told that Callaghan also sustained injuries which included a broken arm and fractured pelvis. An alcohol test on Callaghan showed that he had a minor amount in his system but not enough to take him over the drink drive limit. Calum Weir, defending, told the sentencing: "He knows a catastrophic error of judgement has had a devastating impact on two families."
