A MORAY MAN who was jailed for nine years after admitting causing the death of a childhood friend has had his sentence reduced.
37-year-old Murray Geddes had admitted causing the death of his friend Graeme McKenzie after driving away from an Aberlour pub after a night out on May 16 last year.
Geddes told police that he drove his Audi S3 from the pub that night because he was “fed up waiting for a taxi”. The offshore worker admitted causing the death of Mr McKenzie by driving dangerously on the A941 Craigellachie to Rothes road after consuming excess alcohol.
At his appearance at the High Court in Edinburgh last year, Geddes was sentenced to serve nine years in jail and banned from driving for 12 years, Lord Glennie telling him “words are barely adequate to describe” his offence.
However, Geddes launched an appeal against what his legal team described as an “excessive” punishment, and on Friday the Lord Justice Clerk, Lord Carloway, Lord Bracadale and Lord Malcom agreed that the sentence should be reduced.
Geddes will now serve a reduced sentence of six years in jail and a ban from driving of eight years.