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Pc guilty of girl's crash death Pc guilty of girl's crash death
(21 minutes later)
A police officer has been found guilty of causing the death of a schoolgirl by dangerous driving. A police officer has been found guilty of causing the death of a 16-year-old schoolgirl by dangerous driving.
Pc John Dougal had accelerated to 90mph in a 30mph zone when he hit Hayley Adamson, 16, in Newcastle in May, the city's crown court heard. Pc John Dougal, 41, had accelerated to 94mph (151km/h) in a 30mph zone before he hit Hayley Adamson in Newcastle in May, the city's crown court heard.
A police driving expert told the court that the patrol officer's speed was "unjustified", but Pc Dougal had claimed he had been driving safely. A police driving expert told the court that the patrol officer's speed was unjustified, but Dougal had claimed he had been driving safely.
The car's siren and lights had not been activated at the time, the jury heard.The car's siren and lights had not been activated at the time, the jury heard.
Following the conviction, Judge David Hodson said a prison sentence was inevitable.
The crash happened on Denton Road in Scotswood on 19 May.The crash happened on Denton Road in Scotswood on 19 May.
The court was told that Pc Dougal was reacting to the Volvo's automatic number plate recognition system, which alerted him to a passing car - indicating it could potentially be linked to a crime. In-car footage
Pc Dougal accelerated to catch up with the Renault Megane, and struck Hayley when she stepped into the road. The court was told that Dougal was reacting to the Volvo's automatic number plate recognition system, which alerted him to a passing car - indicating it could potentially be linked to a crime.
The number plate recognition data was later found to be out of date, the court heard. He accelerated to catch up with the Renault Megane and struck Hayley when she stepped into the road.
Dougal said he had not wanted to alert the Megane driver to his presence by putting on his sirens or blue lights.
The number plate recognition data was later found to be out of date.
Pc John Dougal is a qualified advanced driver
At the time of the crash, the qualified advanced driver was travelling so fast he had effectively become a passenger in his own car and had surrendered "to physics", an expert witness told the jury.
Retired police inspector and police driving standards expert Gordon Robertson said he "could not imagine" a situation where Dougal should have accelerated to more than 90mph, without activating his blue lights or siren.
The court was shown footage from the in-car video camera, including the moment the teenager was hit by the car and flung out of shot.
Judge David Hodson said: "You will be remanded in custody and you must appreciate that the inevitable outcome of a conviction of an offence of this nature is an immediate sentence of custody."
He added: "I am sure everybody who has sat through this case will be acutely conscious of the grief there has been to the Adamson family."
The jury of eight women and four men took an hour and a half to reach their unanimous verdict.
Dougal was remanded in custody to be sentenced on 1 May.