A WOMAN sobbed in court today as she told how she can't remember killing a cyclist by running him over.
Jordan McDowall, 21, allegedly caused the death of Kevin Gilchrist in Greenock Road, Inchinnan, on July 28, 2018.
Prosecutors state she drove her white Ford Fiesta dangerously on the A8 and failed to pay proper attention to the road in front of her.
It is claimed McDowall crossed onto the opposite carriageway and collided with 51-year-old Mr Gilchrist, who was riding his bicycle.
The charge states she then collided with trees and shrubbery on the verge of the road, which caused damage to her car.
Mr Gilchrist is said to have been so severely injured by the collision that he died.
McDowall, of Erskine, is on trial at the High Court in Glasgow, where she denies a single charge of causing Mr Gilchrist's death by dangerous driving.
Giving evidence, she told jurors she was 18 at the time of the incident and had only been driving for seven weeks.
She claimed she was a "confident" driver and was wearing sliders on her feet on the journey from Bishopton.
Prosecutor Paul Kearney asked if sliders were good footwear for a car journey.
McDowall replied: "I couldn't say."
The court also heard from witness Gordon Lang, who stated that McDowall's car had been "veering" on the road.
Mr Kearney asked McDowall: "Is it not the case you were fully conscious but for whatever reason not paying attention to the road ahead?"
She replied: "No."
Mr Kearney then asked: "You didn't brake, did you?"
McDowall again replied: "No."
She said she had "no recollection" of the collision and there was a "gap" in her memory.
McDowall added that the last thing she remembered was turning at the Red Smiddy roundabout.
She also stated she only came to when the airbags in her car deployed.
McDowall disagreed with a witness' suggestion that she was seen on her phone outside the car immediately after the collision.
Mr Kearney said: "If the witness is right, it means you were conscious enough and alert enough to be using your phone straight after an episode of loss of consciousness and memory."
McDowall responded: "I don't know what happened."
It was put to her that she was overheard asking her mum to bring her juice on the phone call.
Mr Kearney also stated McDowall had repeatedly said she was going to be in "so much trouble."
The prosecutor asked if this was something she would say if she did something wrong.
McDowall replied: "Maybe."
The court was told a breath test carried out at the scene returned a negative result.
When asked by her QC, Brian McConnachie, if she knew how the incident happened, a tearful McDowall replied: "No."
Jurors also heard from cardiologist Stuart Hutcheon, who said that, before the incident, McDowall was not prone to blackouts.
Agreed evidence read to the jury at the beginning of the trial stated that Mr Gilchrist died as a result of the collision due to "serious injuries to the chest."
The document added that McDowall's car was examined and there were "no defects that contributed to the collision."
Furthermore, McDowall's telematics box reported "no evidence of inappropriate driving on the day or prior to the collision."
The trial, before judge Lord Armstrong, continues.
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