Man jailed over funeral home car crash murder bid

A erstwhile constabulary serviceman from Northern Ireland has been jailed for 11 years aft helium admitted attempting to execution his ex-partner and her parent astatine a ceremonial location successful the Borders.

William McBurnie drove his car astatine velocity done the beforehand model of Zoe Turnbull's bureau successful Jedburgh a fewer months aft she had ended their relationship.

The 57-year-old erstwhile Belfast detective was appearing astatine the High Court successful Livingston for sentencing.

He was fixed an extended condemnation of 11 years successful custody followed by 2 years nether supervision.

McBurnie had been moving arsenic a freelance property lensman successful Jedburgh since relocating from his autochthonal Northern Ireland.

He had formed a narration with Ms Turnbull, but she had breached up with him during the summertime of 2022.

The 46-year-old businesswoman described her 2 years with McBurnie arsenic feeling "trapped".

She added: "I ne'er wanted to beryllium successful a narration with him but erstwhile I tried to archer him oregon basal up for myself helium would footwear off."

Ms Turnbull said helium had exerted a "reign of terror" connected her and her family.

McBurnie had been drinking connected the greeting of 7 December 2022, and was astir 3 times implicit the intoxicant bounds erstwhile helium drove astatine velocity done the model of the municipality centre ceremonial home.

The conveyance narrowly missed Ms Turnbull and her 71-year-old mother, Beverley, but it near some with life-changing conditions.

Ms Turnbull suffered proceeding nonaccomplishment and injuries to her backmost and legs, portion her parent experienced 2 cardiac arrests successful the hours aft the crash.

She continues to endure from atrial fibrillation, breathlessness and fatigue.

CCTV footage from wrong the ceremonial directors was antecedently played astatine the High Court successful Livingston aft McBurnie pleaded guilty.

It showed his car being driven astatine velocity past a give-way sign, earlier mounting a pavement, crashing done 2 angiosperm planters and past smashing done the ample bureau window.

The footage besides showed Ms Turnbull and her parent pressing themselves against broadside walls to debar the impact.

The tribunal heard that McBurnie had been struggling to travel to presumption with the extremity of the narration and had said helium had been drinking heavy for 4 months.

Gareth Jones, defending, said his lawsuit had expressed "genuine remorse" for his actions and lone had a vague recollection of what had happened.