M9 crash: Inquiry into deaths of Falkirk couple Lamara Bell and John Yuill begins

Lamara Bell, 25, and John Yuill, 28, were returning from a camping trip near Lochearnhead when their Renault Clio plunged down an embankment on the M9 at Bannockburn on July 5, 2015.

The inquiry, which started at Falkirk Sheriff Court today (Monday), heard the pair had gone on the camping trip with three others, with Mr Yuill, who held only a provisional licence, supervised on the way out by a qualified driver.But in the early hours of the morning after the "atmosphere changed", Mr Yuill became upset, and they left.

Crown counsel Elaine Smith said that it was a matter of agreement that around 1.20 on the Sunday morning, July 5, one of the other campers was awoken by the sound of music coming from John Yuill's Clio and heard the engine start.

Ms Smith said: "She heard John Yuill say he was going home. She heard Lamara Bell shout John Yuill's name and assumed this was a request for him to stop the car. The car engine stopped, but the music continued.

"At some point during the early hours John Yuill and Lamara Bell left the camp. John Yuill was the driver of the car at that time, and was not supervised in his driving. Lamara did not hold a driving licence. The rest of the group were asleep and unaware of their departure."

Ms Smith said that about 05.31 am, the car was caught on a speed camera travelling northwards up the A9 near Tibbermore, between Auchterarder and Perth, at 91 miles an hour.

The couple were later seen on CCTV at Broxden Services, Perth, where Mr Yuill used the toilet and Lamara bought cigarettes and crisps.

The inquiry heard that police carried out a missing persons inquiry after their families reported they had not returned home. But even though an extensive aerial helicopter search was carried out around Lochearnhead, Crieff, Greenloaning and Auchterarder, no officers were tasked with searching the M9 south of Keir Roundabout, Dunblane.

Around 11.29 hours, a farmer, John Wilson, had called 101 to report a car, which eventually turned out to be the pair's Clio, crashed in a field near the M9 at Bannockburn.The call was taken at Police Scotland's call handling centre at Bilston Glen, Midlothian by Police Sergeant Brian Henry, who was then working an overtime shift as a call handler.But inquiry heard he did not create an entry on Police Scotland's Storm command and control system in respect of the call.Ms Smith said: "This resulted in the area control rooms being unaware of the incident so no police action was taken in response."Police, fire and ambulance were sent to the scene three days later, after a second person reported seeing the crashed car.John Yuill was already dead, and Lamara had a significant head injury and was only partially conscious but in "significant pain".She was anaesthetised and intubated and flown to hospital in Glasgow where she died on the morning of July 12.In September 2021, Police Scotland was fined £100,000 after the force pleaded guilty to a charge under the Health and Safety Act and admitted "corporate criminal liability".The then Chief Constable Sir Iain Livingstone apologised "unreservedly".Two months later, it was announced that Ms Bell's family would receive more than £1 million in compensation from Police Scotland.In a statement released at the time the Bell family said the conclusion of the civil claim against the force was the end of "chasing answers, recognition and justice for six years".It added: "Our pain and loss won't stop just because the legal proceedings are over but there is at least a sense of peace that comes with their conclusion."But that peace is fleeting because ultimately we are still without Lamara. We are without a daughter and sister and her children are without a mother."

The FAI will determine the cause of the deaths and the circumstances in which the deaths occurred.

It will also try to establish what reasonable precautions could have been taken to avoid deaths in similar circumstances. FAIs do not apportion blame.

The inquiry, before Sheriff James Williamson, which is set to last six weeks, continues.