Man jailed over 82-year-old woman’s crash death

A convicted rapist has been jailed for nine months after his careless driving led to the death of an 82-year-old woman in Orkney.

Ewan Paul Brown had earlier pleaded guilty to causing the death of Whilma Hutchison by driving without due care or attention on the A965, in Finstown, in 2022.

The 29-year-old was driving his Volkswagen Golf when he rounded a bend on the opposite side of the road and collided with a Land Rover driven by Mrs Hutchison’s brother, Ian Ritch, then 79.

Mrs Hutchison, who was in the passenger seat, died of internal injuries the following morning, while Mr Ritch spent a month in hospital after being cut free from the wreckage.

Earlier this year Brown was sentenced to four years in prison for raping a “heavily intoxicated” woman, incapable of giving or withholding consent, in an Aberdeen hotel in 2019.

At the High Court in Edinburgh, judge Lord Fairley said he understood from a victim impact statement that the consequences of the crime for the woman were “life changing in many respects”.

On Wednesday, Brown appeared at Kirkwall Sheriff Court before Sheriff Robert MacDonald for sentencing on the careless driving charge.

Family members of Mrs Hutchison, including Mr Ritch, were present.

Sheriff MacDonald told the farm worker that the seriousness of the crime meant a custodial sentence would be the most appropriate punishment in the circumstances.

In addition to his prison sentence, Brown was disqualified from driving for 31 months.

His nine-month sentence for careless driving will be served after the completion of Brown’s current sentence for rape.