Glasgow Hit and Run Driver Spares Prison Sentence Glasgow 2026

Key Points

• Offender avoiding custody: Jason Rae, 54, has avoided a prison sentence at Glasgow Sheriff Court despite leaving a pedestrian with life-threatening injuries in a hit and run incident.
• Details of the collision: Rae struck Alisha Ferns, then aged 32, on Bell Street in Glasgow’s Merchant City district on June 10, 2023.
• Extensive medical trauma: Miss Ferns sustained catastrophic injuries including a fractured skull, facial fractures, a shattered spleen, liver damage, a collapsed lung, a shattered pelvis, and significant permanent facial deformity.
• Police initial contact: When traced by law enforcement, Rae claimed he was in Tollcross and later dismissed official caution and charges as “fictitious” while maintaining his innocence throughout proceedings.
• Prior criminal record: The court heard that Rae had previous convictions, which include a prior assault and a 2022 careless driving offense.

Glasgow (Glasgow Express) October 13, 2026 – A motorist who struck a pedestrian in a hit and run collision in Glasgow’s city centre, causing catastrophic life-altering injuries and severe physical deformity, has avoided a custodial sentence at Glasgow Sheriff Court.

As reported by Connor Gordon of the Glasgow Times, 54-year-old Jason Rae was spared jail after being sentenced for striking Alisha Ferns, who was 32 years old at the time of the incident, on Bell Street in Glasgow’s Merchant City area on June 10, 2023.

What injuries did the victim sustain during the hit and run incident?

As detailed by Connor Gordon of the Glasgow Times, court proceedings revealed the traumatic extent of the physical damage inflicted upon Miss Ferns following the collision.

The victim was rushed to hospital immediately after the crash, where medical personnel identified a vast range of severe internal and external injuries. Medical reports presented to the court documented that Miss Ferns suffered a fractured skull, a fractured eye socket, multiple facial fractures, a shattered spleen, liver wounds, and disrupted blood flow to her kidney. Furthermore, she sustained a collapsed right lung, significant tissue loss to her shoulder, multiple broken ribs, severe friction burns, and a shattered pelvis.

According to court documentation highlighted by Connor Gordon of the Glasgow Times, Miss Ferns required numerous surgical interventions and was placed on mechanical ventilation for nearly two weeks until June 23, 2023. She remained hospitalized for over two months before being discharged on August 19, 2023. A joint minute of agreement entered into evidence confirmed that, in the professional medical opinion of her attending doctor, Miss Ferns survived the traumatic event with “significant facial deformity.”

How did the driver react when traced by police officers?

As reported by Connor Gordon of the Glasgow Times, law enforcement officers subsequently traced Jason Rae following an investigation into the vehicle involved in the Bell Street incident.

When initially questioned by Police Scotland officers regarding the location of his vehicle at the time of the crash, Rae stated:

“It was driving the car, it was my car, I wasn’t driving on Bell Street, I was in Tollcross.”

When formally cautioned and charged by officers regarding the hit and run incident, Rae gave a concise response, stating: “Fictitious.”

What arguments were presented by the defense during sentencing?

As noted by Connor Gordon of the Glasgow Times, defense solicitor Bronwyn Moore represented Rae during the sentencing hearing and addressed the court regarding her client’s position.

Miss Moore explained to the court that her client continued to maintain his innocence despite the conviction. Presenting the defense mitigation, Miss Moore stated:

“He appreciates the seriousness of the matter he was convicted of and that Miss Ferns suffered significant injuries which has had an impact on him and he can reflect on that aspect of it.”

The court was also informed regarding Rae’s criminal history, which includes prior court convictions for assault as well as a separate careless driving conviction dating back to 2022.

Background of the Glasgow hit and run development

The legal proceedings surrounding Jason Rae’s case follow a series of high-profile traffic safety incidents and hit-and-run trials across Glasgow and the surrounding West of Scotland region. Pedestrian safety in urban centers like Glasgow’s Merchant City has remained a focal point for local traffic authorities, road safety campaigners, and Police Scotland.

Glasgow Sheriff Court frequently deals with serious road traffic offenses under Scots Law, where judges and sheriffs evaluate sentencing guidance based on factors such as culpability, dangerous versus careless driving thresholds, early pleas, and pre-sentencing social work reports. Community Payback Orders (CPOs), restriction of liberty orders, and driving bans are frequently utilized as non-custodial alternatives under Scottish justice system reforms aimed at reducing short-term prison sentences, provided statutory criteria are met.

Prediction: How this legal outcome affects Glasgow road users and victims of traffic offenses

This judicial outcome is expected to generate noticeable reactions across several key groups within the local community and legal landscape:

• Pedestrians and local residents: For residents and pedestrians navigating busy areas like Glasgow’s city centre and Merchant City, the decision to issue a non-custodial sentence in a case involving severe injuries may heighten concerns over public safety and driver accountability on urban streets.
• Road safety advocacy groups: Campaigners advocating for vulnerable road users and victims of reckless driving are likely to critique non-custodial sentences for severe hit and run cases, potentially using this outcome to call for stricter sentencing guidelines or legislative reviews regarding drivers who fail to stop after serious accidents.
• Legal professionals and road traffic lawyers: For defense solicitors and prosecutors operating within the Scottish court system, this ruling reinforces established precedent regarding non-custodial sentencing options, demonstrating how judicial discretion, mitigation, and alternative community-based disposals are applied even in cases resulting in life-changing physical harm.