Nurse avoids jail for killing grandad and his dog with car after witnesses heard her say: ‘You’ve got to live, this will affect my job if you die’

A nurse has been ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work after being found guilty of causing death by careless driving in Glasgow.

Pamela Kennedy, 35, struck and killed Martin Cawley, 64, and his dog Zoe while they were crossing a road in the Wellhouse area on February 6, 2023.

Kennedy, who claimed she swerved to avoid hitting the dog before striking Cawley, was convicted at Glasgow Sheriff Court.

The incident occurred around 8.30pm, with two young witnesses – aged 15 and 13 – nearby when Cawley was crossing with his dog.

Prosecutor Susan Campbell told the court: “The girl said Zoe was behind Mr Cawley, to his side.”

The witnesses reported that Cawley had almost reached the other side of the road when they heard a bang.

“What they saw was the awful sight of Mr Cawley falling to the floor. His top half was on the kerb while his legs were on the road,” Campbell said.

The boy called an ambulance while Kennedy began performing CPR on Cawley at the scene.

Witnesses heard Kennedy say: “Don’t do this to me, you have got to live, this will affect my job if you die.”

Another bystander reported hearing Kennedy state: “I swerved to miss the dog and didn’t see the man.”

Members of Cawley’s family arrived within minutes of the ambulance, with his pregnant daughter pleading with him “to live to see his grandchild.”

Cawley suffered fatal neck and chest injuries due to the collision and was pronounced dead at the scene.

His dog Zoe had to be put to sleep the following day due to her injuries.

Addressing the jury, prosecutor Campbell stated: “Had Kennedy paid proper attention and saw Mr Cawley stepping on the road, she could have done that in three to four seconds.”

“She could have stopped in ample time and distance and avoided colliding with Mr Cawley and his dog – she did not do this.”

Kennedy now works as a bank nurse at a care home in Glasgow’s Drumchapel area.

Her lawyer, Mann, told the court: “It is clear this has been a taxing ordeal on Mr Cawley’s family and this is not lost on my client.”

“She considers this to be a tragic event for his family,” he added.