The family who lost three members in the Glasgow bin lorry crash that killed six people has taken the first legal step in an attempt to bring a private prosecution of the lorry’s driver, Harry Clarke.
Lawyers for the relatives of 18-year-old Erin McQuade and her grandparents, Jack and Lorraine Sweeney – who were killed when a council bin lorry hit Christmas shoppers in Glasgow’s George Square in December 2014 – confirmed that a bill of criminal letters has been lodged with Scotland’s lord advocate, Frank Mulholland. Mulholland has seven days to respond.
A statement from the Sweeney and McQuade family lawyer said: “Paul Kavanagh, Gildeas solicitors, intimates on behalf of the relatives of Jack and Lorraine Sweeney and Erin McQuade that a bill for criminal letters was delivered to the lord advocate. We have sought the concurrence of the lord advocate and look forward to receiving a response within seven days.”
A spokesman for the crown office said: “The lord advocate has received a bill of criminal letters and will give it due consideration. The crown position on this will be made clear to the families and the court when appropriate.”
