The family of Tony Parsons, the charity cyclist killed by a hit-and-run driver who then returned to the scene with his twin brother to dispose of the body, are suing the pair for damages.
Alexander McKellar, aged 31, pleaded guilty earlier this week at Glasgow’s High Court to culpable homicide after a crashed into 63-year-old Mr Parsons on the evening of 29 September 2017 near the Bridge of Orchy Hotel in Argyll and Bute.
He and his brother Robert also admitted trying to defeat the ends of justice through disposing of Mr Parson’s corpse in a peat bog on the Auch Estate that was usually used to dump animal carcasses.
The Scottish Sun reports (link is external) that earlier this month, Mr Parsons’ family filed papers with the Court of Session in Edinburgh, Scotland’s equivalent to the High Court, to initiate the legal action.
Explaining the background to the action, a source told the newspaper: “Usually there are few, if any, means for a victim’s family to sue the killer.
“But in this case a vehicle was involved, opening up the prospect of a civil action to recover damages as there is an insurance policy in place.”
The action is being brought for what under Scots law is known as “loss of society,” under which “damages are intended to compensate family members for the distress, anxiety, grief and sorrow caused by the wrongful death of their loved one, together
with the loss of their guidance,” according to the Law Society of Scotland.
Following repeated appeals from Police Scotland after he went missing on his ride from Fort William to his home in Tillicoultry, Clackmannanshire, Mr Parsons’ remains were eventually discovered in January 2021, a month after the brothers had initially
been arrested.
After last week’s court hearing in Glasgow, Mr Parson’s family said in a statement that he was “much-loved husband, dad, and grandad”, and spoke of the “heartbreak” they went through during the years.
“When he said goodbye and set off on his charity cycle from Fort William that Friday, none of us expected it to be the last time we would be able to see or speak to him,” they said.
“Throughout the six years since he went missing and then the subsequent criminal investigation, we had been left with many unanswered questions and it has been heartbreaking for each and every member of the family being unable to get these answers.
“As you can imagine, not knowing what has happened to someone and then the devastating news that we were provided has taken its toll on all of us as a family,” they added.
The McKellar brothers remain in custody and will be sentenced next month.
https://road.cc/content/news/family-sue-driver-who-killed-cyclist-then-hid-body-302881
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