A DUNFERMLINE driver who killed a pensioner while on the phone and behind the wheel of a faulty car has been jailed for three years.

William Gall, 24, ploughed into Thomas Beall shortly after the frail 81-year-old had left a supermarket in November 2018.

The pizza delivery driver was today sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow having earlier admitted to a charge of causing death by dangerous driving.

Lord Matthews told him: "You were well aware that the headlights were out.

"Your vehicle had bulbs not suitable for the car, which you had secured with cardboard.

"Your dashboard was not working, so you could not see how fast you were going."

Gall, a dad-of-three, was also banned from the road for six and a half years.

The court was previously told that the headlights of his Ford Focus were not working and its battery had very low power at the time.

But Gall continued driving and hit Mr Beall as he crossed the road in Kirkcaldy.

The OAP never survived after suffering brain damage as well as fractures to both legs and his pelvis.

Gall had agreed to give a friend a lift shortly before the fatal collision.

When they arrived, he had to charge his car's battery using another man's moped.

He headed to Kirkcaldy with two passengers before "several warning lamps" lit up on his dashboard.

Gall stated: "That's the battery playing up again."

He then called another friend while driving, putting the phone on loud speaker.

The car's headlights soon went out, leading to warnings from other concerned motorists.

Gall told a passenger: "I know – I've got my sidelights on."

Mr Beall, who used a walking aid, had just left a the Asda store in Kirkcaldy.

He was at a pelican crossing around 8.30pm as Gall headed towards the area.

Gall again ignored another motorist's worries about his lack of lights.

One of his passengers suddenly spotted Mr Beall crossing the road.

Prosecutor Mark Mohammed said: "He shouted to Gall: 'William, look up' as he was looking at his dashboard and talking on his mobile phone."

Gall slammed on the brakes, but hit the OAP, who was hurled into the air.

A man rushed to help and quizzed Gall on why he had no headlights on.

Gall claimed his battery was "knackered".

Mr Beall was rushed to hospital but never recovered.

Crash investigators later concluded the Ford's battery "was not capable of powering the vehicle".

It had also been fitted with bulbs not designed to be used in such a car.

The lack of battery power meant the bulbs could not work properly.

Jim Keegan QC, defending, said: "The upshot is that he made a bad decision and continued driving a vehicle that should not have been on the road."