Man, 22, who killed father-of-two by pushing him in front of an ambulance with its blue lights on is jailed
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Lewis Budge, 22, was jailed for six years for killing Robert Bromell by pushing him in front of an ambulance
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In his sentencing, Lord Arthurson said Budge gave no thought to the surrounding area.
He said: ‘Your subsequent conduct of walking away and putting the responsibility onto Mr Bromell for what happened and, apparently doing nothing until you were identified as the perpetrator, are all factors that weigh unfavourably against you.’
‘You deliberately pushed your victim, using both hands, into the roadway and into the path of the ambulance.’
He told Budge: ‘In due course, you will undoubtedly complete your sentence and return home to your family and friends. Mr Bromell, your victim, will do none of this.
‘Mr Bromell’s sons and his whole family will be deprived of his role in their lives.
‘The terrible consequences of your crime against him are generational and no punishment will ever remedy that awful, dismal truth.’
As he was led to the cells, a relative of the victim yelled: ‘You evil b*****d, I hope you rot in hell.’
The two men were part of a group who had left the Markie Dans bar when the kitchen porter decided to push Mr Bromell into the road.
They all left when the pub closed at 1am and began to make their way towards the centre of town.
Prosecutor David McLean KC said Budge and Mr Bromell were seen chatting to each other at one stage.
In the meantime an ambulance was travelling to an emergency in nearby Dunollie with its blue lights on, but without its sirens.
The hearing was told a parked pop-top caravan meant neither Budge nor Mr Brommel could see what was on the road as they walked along a part of the esplanade.
Mr McLean said ‘As the ambulance approached, Budge deliberately pushed Mr Bromell on the top half of the front of his body using two hands.
‘It had sufficient force to cause him to lose balance. Budge gave no thought to the surrounding circumstances.’
The 39-year-old suffered fatal injuries after being hit by the ambulance.
Budge later lied about the incident, saying Mr Bromell had ‘stumbled’ out in front of the ambulance as they walked in the street.
However, CCTV footage showed Budge laying hands on Mr Bromell moments before the crash.
Robert Bromell suffered severe injuries and died in hospital hours after being hit by the emergency vehicle
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Slowed-down footage of the horror incident was played in court today.
Mr Bromell tried to break his fall, but was hit on the head by the emergency vehicle.
The ambulance stopped and paramedics immediately raced out to help.
Mr Bromell was initially rushed to hospital in Oban and then transferred to the Royal Alexandra in Paisley, Renfrewshire.
He suffered multiple injuries and died later that afternoon.
Mr McLean said Budge, also of Oban, was described as ‘pale white and shook up’ after the incident.
Brian McConnachie KC, representing Budge, said the defendant was ‘deeply remorseful’ about what happened and recognised its impact on Mr Bromell’s family.
He said: ‘This is a case in which the level of violence was, considering what we see in these courts, relatively slight, it’s not even a punch, certainly there’s no weapon used, but the consequences were catastrophic.
‘This was not a pre-meditated act, but a reckless one.
‘It is clear that Lewis Budge is a young man who made a dreadful mistake.’
The KC added that what occurred was a ‘tragedy’ and did not stem from anything ‘particularly heated’ or a ‘significant argument’.
Mr McConnachie said Budge has been assessed as being at a ‘minimum’ risk of reoffending.
The family of Mr Bromell, who was known as Hogan to family and friends, previously paid tribute to him in a statement released through Police Scotland following his death.
They said the father-of-two was never seen ‘without a smile on his face and a little joke to tell’, and they remembered his ‘cheeky smile and funny character’.
The family added: ‘It is a devastating loss and he will be missed by everyone that knew him.’
Mr Bromell had stayed with his sister on the Isle of Bute before he moved to Oban around two years before he passed away.
A GoFundMe page, at one stage, had raised £2,400 to help with funeral costs.
