Ross death crash man locked up

Elder was jailed for 60 days at the Dingwall court

A FORMER Gairloch fisherman, who was jailed for 10 years for killing three members of a family when he ploughed into them in his car as they walked along a pavement, is back behind bars.

Justin David Elder (37), a scallop diver, was jailed for 60 days at Dingwall Sheriff Court when he admitted assaulting his girlfriend on Quay Street, Ullapool, on April 24 this year.

The court heard that the offence occurred while Elder was out on licence from prison.

He was jailed for 10 years and banned from driving for life at the High Court in Edinburgh in June 2003 for killing Shirley Braithwaite (51), her daughter Natalie (22), and son Matthew (19), in Gairloch, Wester Ross.

At the time the court heard he had been on a drinking spree in the village and repeatedly ignored advice not to take his car.

Dingwall Sheriff Court was told he had been released on licence from prison in March last year, and had committed the offence after being out drinking.

He admitted assaulting the women by pushing her to the ground, seizing her by the clothing and dragging her along the ground to her injury.

Sheriff Alasdair MacFadyen said he took a very serious view of the offence.

He told Elder: "It was committed while you were heavily intoxicated by alcohol, and that is against a background of your serious criminal record which was committed through alcohol. It appears you have not addressed that.

"You resorted to violence against a woman while you were intoxicated. I am not going to send you to the High Court, but I will sentence you to 60 days in prison."