Speeboat victim was facing death crash charge

The speedboat set out from Port Logan on Saturday.

It has emerged that Sandy Hamilton, 35, from Larkhall, had been accused of causing death by dangerous driving after a crash killed 85-year-old Giovanni Coppolaro and his wife Maria, 83, in July 2015.

The couple, from St Ives, died in the crash on the A73 Carlisle Road near Newhouse on July 27 last year.

Mr Hamilton, who was also accused of driving without insurance, was due to stand trial in July.

He was found dead along with Kevin James McKinlay, 46,following a large-scale search in the Irish Sea on Sunday.

The coastguard was alerted on Saturday evening when the boat was reported overdue from Port Logan.

The pair had launched their speedboat from the village at about 9am on Saturday and were believed to be heading towards Stranraer on a leisure trip.

Their disappearance sparked a major search over the weekend involving the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the RNLI and Police Scotland.

The families of Mr Hamilton, of Clydeview Cottages, Ashgill, and Mr McKinlay, from Rosslyn Road, have been kept informed of the developments.

A report will be sent to the procurator fiscal, police said.