Spared jail, lorry driver who caused death of four horses in A9 crash, including £1million stallion
By GARY FITZPATRICK FOR THE SCOTTISH DAILY MAIL
Published: 20:49, 1 May 2025 | Updated: 21:45, 1 May 2025
A driver who crashed into a horsebox killing four animals inside and seriously injured his passenger has avoided jail.
Justin Bower, 48, was driving a 7.5-tonne Mercedes truck when it hit the back of a broken-down horse transporter, which had been heading to a show in Blair Atholl, Perthshire.
Four eventing horses were killed including a nine-year-old stallion named Party Trick, said to be worth more than GBP1million.
The crash took place on the A9 near Perth[1], at the top of Cairnie Braes, on August 24, 2021.
Bower, from Rhyl, in Wales, was found guilty of causing serious injury to his co-diver Ashley Vandervis by dangerous driving by a unanimous jury last month
Part of the charge, which alleged he had been driving while holding and using a mobile phone and steering the vehicle with his elbows, was deleted by jurors.
Bower returned to Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court for sentencing.
Defence solicitor Pauline Cullerton said of her client: 'He accepts full responsibility, although he thought it was careless driving and he accepts the verdict.
Justin Bower was driving a 7.5-tonne Mercedes truck when it hit the back of a broken-down horse transporter
Party Trick, a stallion owned by Nick Gauntlett, was one of four horses killed in the RTA on the A9
'He is extremely remorseful for the injuries caused to his colleague.
Mr Bower has also suffered and has been diagnosed with PTSD.'
She added that he had not driven since the incident and is currently unemployed.
Sheriff Robert More expressed the court's 'deepest sympathy' to the injured passenger and to the owners of the animals.
He described some of the evidence as 'harrowing and emotional' which recalled 'traumatic events, hurt and loss'.
The sheriff said the deletion of the accusation that Bower had been steering with his elbows, was 'very significant' in the sentencing.
He imposed a community payback order with 220 hours of unpaid work and banned Bower from driving for two years and until he passes the extended test.
From the dock, Bower said: 'I don't wish to drive again.'
The court earlier heard Mr Vandervis, 47, was left trapped after the smash and suffered lacerations to his head, two fractured vertebrae, four broken ribs, a broken left wrist and ankle and a broken right leg and ankle.
Eventing horse owner Nick Gauntlett looked on in horror as he watched his prize stallion die
He said he had no recollection of the accident at all.
Party Trick's owner, Nick Gauntlett, 47, told the trial he was driving the horses north to the competition when he was forced to pull over because of an engine issue.
He said he'd activated the hazards and placed a makeshift warning about 100 yards along the road to alert oncoming motorists.
But despite his efforts, the lorry hit the back of the horsebox which was still partly protruding into the inside lane with devastating consequences.
Mr Gauntlett, who was standing on a grass verge with his wife, children, two grooms and Sophie Hulme, the owner of the other three horses, said he watched his prized stallion die, adding: 'You might think it was only a horse, but it was my life.'
He said he valued his horse 'in excess of GBP1million'.
Following the crash, police said two horses had died outright while another two had to be euthanised.
After the trial in April, Mr Vandervis's wife Nathalie posted online he'd spent four months in three different hospitals, lost more than three stones in weight and 'had to learn to walk again'.
She fumed: 'Absolute disgrace the devastation this man [Bower] has caused, the court date was changed four times...taking well over a year to get some sort of closure.'
On the day of the crash, Mr Gauntlett, who is based in Chipping Sodbury, in South Gloucestershire, posted on social media: 'Tough day... maybe an understatement!
'My amazing family are fine & that is definitely the main thing, but today we lost Party Trick & 3 of Sophie Hulme's horses.'Having broken down just 30min from Land Rover Blair Castle International Horse Trials we sat on the grass verge & watched a lorry plough into our truck.
'You don't need the details but we lost all 4 horses on board.
'We are obviously all heartbroken'.
Yesterday, Mr Gauntlett did not wish to comment on the sentencing.
PerthWales[2][3]