TikTok creator who posed as road traffic lawyer killed pensioner in crash

A man who often posed as a road traffic lawyer on TikTok has been convicted of killing a pensioner in a crash.

Leigh Sutherland was speeding in an ageing Ford Mondeo with unsafe brakes at the time of the crash at the Condorrat Ring Road near Cumbernauld, Lanarkshire, on June 15, 2023.

The 31-year-old crashed into a Peugeot 108 driven by Margaret Allan.

The 77-year-old mother later passed away from her injuries. A young passenger was also hurt.

Sutherland tried to blame the OAP for the collision, stating at the scene: “It would not have happened if the f*****g b***h had not pulled out.”

Sutherland was well-known on TikTok for posting videos claiming to be a defence lawyer, dressing up as a police officer and others, including him, reviewing supermarket food.

He was jailed on Wednesday after being found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

Sutherland will be sentenced at a later date.

A police officer told jurors how he had been in the area that afternoon when he became aware of a collision in his rear-view mirror.

He drove back and initially found the Peugeot “extremely damaged”.

The officer said the elderly female driver had blood on her head. She was “confused and dazed”. The child was in the passenger seat.

Sutherland was spotted walking away from the crash. He claimed he needed time to clear his head.

But the PC caught up with him, and he made the comment about Margaret apparently being at fault.

He also repeatedly called the officer “a f*****g idiot”.

During a probe into the crash, it was discovered that the anti-lock braking system in the 12-year-old Mondeo was not working properly.

The battery for the vehicle was also said not to be secured.

Sutherland had been going at a minimum 44mph in the 40mph zone around the time of the collision, but was likely to have been quicker at the point he started braking.

Other motorists in the area that day had also commented on how fast he had been going.

In his speech to jurors, prosecutor Adrian Stalker said Sutherland’s driving had been dangerous and was “not just a lack of judgment or momentary inattention”.

He added Sutherland was “going far too fast” in what was described as a “defective” car.

Sutherland, of Cumbernauld, but who had latterly been living in Newcastle, had been on bail during the trial.

But, he was remanded in custody by Judge Tom Hughes as sentencing was adjourned for reports.