A young man who caused the death of a father by pushing him in front of an ambulance that was responding to an emergency call has successfully appealed to reduce his prison sentence.
Lewis Budge, aged 22, forcibly pushed Robert Bromell with both hands, leading him to lose his balance and fall onto the Corran Esplanade in Oban on September 6, 2023. The tragic incident occurred after both men had been separately socializing at the Markie Dans bar and engaged in a conversation outside the pub.
Subsequently, Mr. Bromell, aged 39, was struck by the ambulance and suffered fatal injuries, passing away the following day at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, Renfrewshire. The ambulance had its emergency lights activated but was not using sirens, and due to obstructed visibility caused by parked cars, neither Budge nor Mr. Bromell could see the vehicle approaching.
Following his admission of culpable homicide at the High Court in Glasgow, Budge was sentenced to six years in prison in February. Despite the severity of the offense, Budge expressed deep remorse for the tragic outcome and acknowledged the devastating impact on Mr. Bromell’s family.
Budge’s defense representative, McConnachie KC, emphasized that while the violence involved was relatively minor compared to other cases, the consequences were severe. He stressed that the act was reckless rather than premeditated and pointed out that Budge has been assessed as posing a minimal risk of reoffending.
In a subsequent appeal, Budge’s legal team argued that the initial prison term was excessive, highlighting his low risk of reoffending and his demonstrated remorse. The appeal judges, led by Lady Wise alongside Lord Matthews, agreed to overturn the original sentence and imposed a reduced term of four years.
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