Nurse killed Glasgow grandad and dog after knocking them down in car

Pamela Kennedy at Glasgow court
-Credit: (Image: Spindrift)



A nurse killed a grandad walking his dog after hitting them with her car.

Pamela Kennedy, 35, struck Martin Cawley, 64, and his pet Zoe as they crossed a road in Glasgow's Wellhouse on February 6 2023. She claimed that she swerved her red Nissan Micra to avoid hitting Zoe and did not see Mr Cawley.

Kennedy gave Mr Cawley CPR at the scene and was heard to say: "Don't do this to me, you have got to live, this will affect my job if you die."

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Kennedy was found guilty today at Glasgow Sheriff Court to causing Mr Cawley's death by careless driving. The court heard that Mr Cawley was walking Zoe while a 15-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl were nearby around 8.30pm.

Prosecutor Susan Campbell told jurors in her closing speech: "The girl said Zoe was behind Mr Cawley, to his side. He started to cross the road and both witnesses said he was almost at the other side when they heard a bang then turned their heads.

"What they saw was the awful sight of Mr Cawley falling to the floor. His top half was on the kerb while his legs were on the road."

The boy phoned an ambulance while the girl went to help the stricken victim.

Witness Craig Caldwell stopped his vehicle and saw Kennedy, of the city's Millerston, giving Mr Cawley CPR. It was then the quote about her job being affected was heard by Mr Caldwell.

Miss Campbell added: "Mr Caldwell also heard Kennedy say that she tried to avoid the dog but hit Mr Cawley."

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Another witness claimed to have heard Kennedy say: "I swerved to miss the dog and didn't see the man."

An ambulance arrived five to 10 minutes later as members of Mr Cawley's family appeared.

Miss Campbell said: "His pregnant daughter told him to live to see his grandchild."

The fiscal depute stated that Mr Cawley was so "severely injured" that he died at the scene. Zoe was put to sleep the following day due to her injuries.

Mr Cawley's cause of death was "neck and chest injuries due to road traffic collision."

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Miss Campbell stated to jurors: "Had Kennedy paid proper attention and saw Mr Cawley stepping on the road, she could have done that in three to four seconds. She could have stopped in ample time and distance and avoided colliding with Mr Cawley and his dog - she did not do this."

Graeme Mann, defending, earlier told the trial that there was "absence of evidence as to what took place from the point he was last seen before crossing the road to the point of the collision.

"No one actually saw the collision and witnesses became aware that a collision took place."

Sentence was deferred pending background reports until next month by Sheriff Tony Kelly who continued Kennedy's bail meantime.