'Selfish' footballer Craig Forbes jailed for killing father David Horn in drunk driving crash in Inverclyde

A footballer has been jailed after causing the death of a "hugely supportive husband and father" while drunk in Inverclyde. Craig Forbes, 23, struck David Horn's vehicle while drunk on the A78 on 15 October 2022.

The Largs Thistle player was found to have been more than twice over the alcohol limit when he attempted to take over another vehicle. The manoeuvre was unsafe, and he proceeded to crash into Mr Horn's car.

Both vehicles rotated after impact, and Mr Horn was trapped inside his car, a Toyota Yaris. Mr Horn was driving after dropping off his daughter in Greenock at 11.20pm. The 59-year-old was taken to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital having initially been trapped in his car, and he suffered cardiac arrest on route to the medical facility. CPR was performed but his condition did not improve at hospital, where he passed away.

Forbes, meanwhile, had attended a wedding and was returning to Greenock in his Volkswagen Golf. The investigation said: "It occurred as a result of Forbes, while impaired by alcohol, losing directional control of his car for an unknown reason. This caused the car to enter the southbound lane and strike the front of Mr Horn's car. Mr Horn had insufficient time to take evasive action. Forbes was solely to blame for the collision which caused Mr Horn's death."

Forbes pleaded guilty at the High Court in Glasgow, and Judge Douglas Brown took into account the early plea, Forbes' injuries and the guidelines for sentencing people under the age of 25. He was sentenced to seven years in prison, while he has also been banned from driving and will have to sit the extended version of the test upon to expiration of his ban.

After reading a victim impact statement from Mr Horn's wife Jaqueline, the judge said: "These statements in eloquent moving terms describe the impact his death had upon them. It is clear from what they say that he was a loving and hugely supportive husband and father. This has changed their lives forever and they have difficulty contemplating a future without him. Nothing the court can impose can realistically bring any significant comfort to them."

In a statement after the sentencing, Jaqueline Horn said: "This is due to a selfish decision made by Craig Forbes. This choice resulted in not only the death of my husband, but a father, son and friend of many. Now we have to live the rest of our lives without David and Craig Forbes will now be known as a killer. Although he has been sentenced today, we have been given a life sentence because of his actions that night, of which we will never forgive him."

Simon Gilbride, defending Forbes, said his client had paid for an AirBNB near the wedding venue but that he has 'impulsively' decided to drive home, a decision he will "regret for the rest of his life".