THE memory of a much-loved motorcyclist who was killed in a horror crash will live on, thanks to a charity donation from the man who caused his death.

George Kelly, from Kilbarchan, suffered fatal injuries in July 2019 while riding his bike on the way to meeting his wife Diane.

The tragedy left loved ones devastated and, in November last year, a Hungarian national – Geza Istvan Fejervary – pleaded guilty to causing his death.

In an unusual move, the court asked Diane if she would prefer to see Fejervary pay a fine to the Crown or make a substantial donation to a charity of her choice.

She agreed that he should make a £3,500 payment to the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, where George was treated for throat cancer in 2016.

Diane, 55, is convinced George, who used to own the Benston Garage, in Johnstone, would approve.

“I feel as if I have done a nice thing out of a bad thing by helping other people through something that went wrong in our life,” she said.

“I chose the Beatson because George was given such good care during his time there. In fact, he would have been four years clear just earlier this month.

“We had already donated all the money from his funeral to the Beatson.”

George, 66, was on his way to meet Diane in Tarbert when his bike collided with a Skoda estate car being driven by Fejervary on the A82, near Inverbeg.

The great-grandfather died at the scene.

Fejervary, 69, was later disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence within the UK for a period of 12 months after his case called at Dumbarton Sheriff Court.

He was thereafter admonished.

Diane, who admits the last 18 months have been an ordeal, said: “People have asked why I didn’t want the guy to be in jail but it’s because of George.

“He was never a vindictive character. He would have been your best pal if you met him. That’s the kind of guy he was.”

An electrical engineer by trade, George was dad to daughters Mandi and Michelle and his late son Jason.

He was also a keen musician and played in bands across Scotland.

George had been married to Diane since 2010, after tying the knot in a secret ceremony in America.

Such was his love for motorcycling that more than 60 bikers turned out to form a guard of honour at his funeral in Paisley.

Diane, who wore her wedding dress for George’s send-off, doesn’t want to feel any malice towards Fejervary.

“He’ll be 70 this year and so would George,” she said. “There was actually only two days between their birthdays.

“He wrote me a personal letter, telling me how he felt and that he knows he has to live with it for the rest of his life.

“I just thought he’s an old man who made a stupid mistake and anyone could have done that. He wasn’t a drunk-driver.

“George didn’t have a bad bone in his body and any of his friends I have spoken to have had the same feeling and believe it’s the same thing he would have done himself.

“It’s made me feel lighter doing this and I don’t think putting an old man in jail would have given me any closure.”