A FORMER Royal Navy chief who killed a mother-of-one in a horrific car crash has avoided jail today (Friday).

James Spiers, 56, crashed into Pauline Gillespie outside her home in Glasgow’s Anniesland in November 10, 2018, after causing a bump with another car when he went through a red light.

Mrs Gillespie, 55, was hit as she unloaded messages from the boot of her car.

One of her legs was severed and she also suffered a brain injury, a broken pelvis and fractured ribs in the horror collision.

She died in the Queen Elizabeth University hospital, Glasgow, on November 19, 2018.

Spiers, a former Navy Chief Petty Officer, pled guilty to causing the death of Mrs Gillespie by careless driving at Glasgow Sheriff Court earlier this month.

Sheriff Joseph Platt spared Spiers jail and instead put him on a restriction of liberty order for six months.

He must stay indoors between 7pm and 7am for three months and 9pm to 7am for the final three months.

Spiers, of Patna, Ayrshire, was banned from the road for four years 

Sheriff Platt said he would have viewed sentencing differently had the driving been viewed as dangerous.

He added he had been told Spiers had lost his home and job as well as suffering flashbacks from what happened.

The sheriff then went on: “The victim impact statements were powerful documents... articulate, very moving and reflect on the tragedy of this incident.

“They reflect on the legacy of Mrs Gillespie which the family can be proud of because her family’s statements are measured, dignified focusing on their loss and not on retribution.

“Any level of sentence cannot undo what happened and I don’t believe the family would find comfort from imprisonment."

A previous hearing was told Spiers drove his Vauxhall Vectra through a red traffic light at the junction of Bearsden Road and Fulton Road, Glasgow.

Mrs Gillespie parked her car in Fulton Street, got out and began taking items out of her boot .

Another car went through the Fulton Street junction on green and was hit by Spiers who ran a red light.

The force of this collision caused Spiers’ car to collide with Mrs Gillespie who was at the back of her car.

Police arrived at the crash scene and found Mrs Gillespie lying on the road conscious and Spiers in his car.

Prosecutor Ruth Ross Davie said that a post mortem examination revealed the cause of death as brain injury.

Defence lawyer Euan Cameron described what happened as a "momentary lapse" which had "catastrophic" consequences.

Mr Cameron: “He was out to buy groceries and travelled this junction near his girlfriend’s house on many occasions.

“There is no question he travelled at excessive speed or drove aggressively.

"He spent 24 years in the navy becoming a Chief Petty Officer.

“He told me that he will never be able to remove the feelings of remorse and regret with what happened."

Spiers already had one previous conviction for a road traffic offence. It was not revealed what it was.