Talented young lawyer, 34, is found dead just hours before she was due in court to be sentenced for crashing her car into railings while drunk
- Kay McFarlane crashed into railings outside hospital near Kilmarnock, Scotland
- She admitted that she was driving while five times over the limit in July last year
- She faced up to year for offense, where she did £6,000-worth damage to her car
- The director of Mair Matheson Solicitors was discovered dead on Wednesday
A law firm director was found dead just hours before she was due in court to be sentenced for drink driving.
Kay McFarlane, 34, crashed into railings outside Crosshouse Hospital near Kilmarnock, Scotland, while she was five times over the limit in July last year.
Ms McFarlane, an alcoholic who was struggling with the death of her father, last month admitted that she was driving while drunk and was due to be sentenced in Ayr Sheriff Court yesterday.
Kay McFarlane, 34, was found dead just hours before she was due in court to be sentenced for drink driving
She faced up to a year in prison for the offense, where she caused £6,000-worth of damage to her car.
But the director of Mair Matheson Solicitors – who was described by friends as ‘fun, beautiful and vivacious’ – was discovered dead on Wednesday.
Ms McFarlane was driving so recklessly prior to the accident that another driver had to do an emergency stop.
When she was taken to a police station after the crash, it was discovered that she had 279mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood. The legal limit is 50mg.
A source told The Daily Record: ‘She was a very capable and confident young solicitor, doing well professionally, and running her own firm.
Ms McFarlane, an alcoholic who was struggling with the death of her father, last month admitted that she was driving while drunk and was due to be sentenced in Ayr Sheriff Court (pictured) yesterday
‘It’s utterly, utterly tragic, 34 is no age at all.’
Another source said: ‘What a poor girl. She was talented but had a lot of issues to overcome.’
Her defence solicitor Simon Brown previously told the court that ‘significant steps’ had been taken by Ms McFarlane to curb her drinking but she had relapsed when the offense was committed.
She was able to keep her job at the law firm where she is joint director.
Ms McFarlane was also due to be assessed on whether a restriction of liberty order would be necessary.
This would see her unable to leave her home at night for a certain stretch of time, and she would have to wear an electronic tag.
In a tribute, Ms McFarlane’s friend Babs Pearson wrote: ‘Last night we lost an extremely popular, talented, fun, beautiful, vivacious young lady at just 35 years old.
‘RIP Kay McFarlane, God rest your soul.’