Full Breakdown
Disqualified Driver Sentenced for Fatal Maserati Crash in Dundee
8/21/2026, 9:29:58 PM
The Crash and Sentencing
On April 13, 2024, 74-year-old John Bell was working in a neighbour’s garden in Broughty Ferry, near Dundee, when a stolen Maserati smashed through a hedge and pinned him against a house wall, causing “non-survivable injuries.” Fraser Garden, 55, who had no licence and was disqualified from driving, was later convicted of causing Bell’s death by dangerous driving, as well as vehicle theft, driving without insurance, driving while disqualified, and failing to provide a blood sample for drug testing. The High Court in Edinburgh sentenced Garden to 13 years and six months’ imprisonment and imposed a driving ban lasting more than 56 years.
Background & Context
Garden entered the West End Garage showroom in the early afternoon of April 13 and stole a high-powered Maserati that was left unlocked. The vehicle, owned by the garage’s director, produces 523 brake horsepower, accelerates from 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds and has a top speed of 193 mph. He had amassed 90 prior convictions, including numerous motoring offences, and was under three separate driving disqualifications at the time of the crash.
Timeline
- April 13, 2024 – Garden steals the Maserati, drives at speeds exceeding 80 mph through residential streets, jumps a red light, drives on the wrong side of the road, and loses control at the junction of Forthill Road and Nursery Road. The car strikes a traffic island, breaches a hedge, and collides with Bell in the garden.
- Later in April – Police arrest Garden on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving; he tells officers he is “sorry.”
- May 2024 – The High Court in Edinburgh delivers the 13-year-six-month sentence and the extended driving ban.
Data & Statistics
- Speed: Prosecutor Graeme Jessop KC said Garden was traveling at 85 mph three seconds before the crash; the car was still moving at 34 mph when it struck the house.
- Speed limit: 30 mph residential limit, nearly three times exceeded.
- Vehicle power: 523 bhp, 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds, top speed 193 mph.
- Criminal history: 90 convictions, three active driving disqualifications.
- Victim’s family: Bell left three children, ten adult grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Verbatim Quotes
- “From the moment you drove away from the garage, you demonstrated wicked disregard for the lives of others.” — Lord Baird
What’s Next
Garden will serve the custodial term at a Scottish prison and remain barred from driving for the remainder of his life. No further court hearings have been announced.
