Biker left paralysed after being hit by careless driver

A biker has spoken of his devastation after the careless driver who left him paralysed for life was only given six penalty points and a £600 fine.

Gordon Alexander, 54, suffered a life-changing spinal cord injury following the collision in April last year.

He was driving his Yamaha motorcycle along the A71 in West Lothian when Jacob Varey pulled out in front of him.

Varey was 17 at the time of the crash, had just passed his test a month earlier and was driving his mother’s Volkswagen Golf.

He appeared at Livingston Sheriff Court on Tuesday 31 January where he pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention. 

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Gordon now hopes Varey’s conviction will send a message to road users on the importance on staying safe and vigilant.

The married father-of-two from Addiewell, West Lothian said: “This incident totally devastated me and my family and will do so for the rest of our lives.

"When in hospital all I could think about was how much of a burden I would be to my family and wondered if the world would be a better place without me being in it.

“Those thoughts and feelings made me feel terrible and even now I am overwhelmed when thinking about my future.

"I've been a biker for more than 35 years. Bikes are not just a mode of transport to me, they are a way of life.

“The freedom, the camaraderie... If you're not a biker, you'll never understand what grips you so much.

"There needs to be recognition from the justice system that Mr Varey has done wrong as you can’t just get away with something without fully understanding the repercussions of one’s own actions.

“But I don't feel any hatred towards him.

“Part of me wants to meet him – in a neutral setting – so he can see exactly what’s happened as a result of his driving but he will now need to own the demons, guilt and shame of his wrongdoings.

“If nothing else I hope this has been a massive educational and life-changing experience for him to make him a better driver and a better person.

“And for the wider public, I hope it reminds people that vehicles are dangerous in the wrong hands and complacency can destroy lives.”

Varey from Berwick-upon-Tweed pulled out of the junction between the A71 and A704 near West Calder when he collided with Mr Alexander.

The court heard the accident happened around 3pm on 3 April 2022 where conditions were dry and clear and traffic was light.

Livingston Sheriff Court heard Varey was only 17-years-old at the time of the crash on 3 April 2022 – he had also just passed his driving test one month earlier and was driving his mother’s white Volkswagen Golf.

Varey, who is now 18-years-old, was convicted under Section 3 of the Road Traffic (Scotland) Act.

It was explained to the court that that the charge of “causing serious injury by careless driving” – known as Section 2C of the same Act – was not introduced until nearly three months after this incident happened.

This meant Varey could only be prosecuted and sentenced on the nature of his driving and not the result of his driving.

Varey’s defence agent said the teen takes full responsibility for his actions and “the serious consequences of the accident are not lost on him.”

Sheriff Craig Findlater sentenced Varey to six points on his licence reduced from nine points due to his early plea.

He also imposed a £600 fine which was reduced from £900 due to early plea and ordered Varey to pay a victim surcharge of £40.

The court heard Varey will get to keep his license but the penalty points applied to it means the DVLA will likely reclassify him to the level of a learner driver.

When passing sentence the sheriff added: “This is a really awful crash – Mr Alexander is an entirely innocent victim of your carelessness.

“Your age and the sentencing guidelines means rehabilitation is to be focused on and the criminal charge in question requires me to consider the nature of your driving and not the effects of it.”

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Gordon before the accident 

Gordon’s tragic accident was highlighted yesterday in the Daily Record and Edinburgh Live.