A college lecturer has admitted to killing a married couple in a head-on collision while driving under the influence of alcohol on Christmas night. Sophie Hynd, 33, pleaded guilty at the High Court in Edinburgh to causing the deaths of Jatinder Kaur, 48, and Satwant Singh, 64, by driving dangerously on the B981 road in Cluny.
Hynd, who taught at Fife College, admitted she was impaired by alcohol and drove erratically, swerving and entering the opposing carriageway. The court heard that she had been drinking with colleagues on December 19, 2025, the last day of term. After consuming prosecco, spirits, and shots, she drove her Nissan Qashqai and collided head-on with a Volkswagen Polo carrying the Kaur-Singh family.
Jatinder Kaur was pronounced dead at the scene. Satwant Singh was taken to hospital but died on December 21. A ten-year-old boy in the car suffered internal injuries and a broken leg, while their daughter, Parveet Kaur, sustained minor injuries.
Prosecutor Lynsey Rodger stated that as Jatinder Kaur approached a blind dip and bend, Hynd's vehicle crossed double solid white lines and entered the opposing lane. Parveet Kaur reportedly alerted her mother to the approaching car. Hynd's vehicle collided head-on with the family's car.
Minutes before the fatal crash, another motorist had called 999 after observing Hynd's car tailgating and swerving onto the opposing carriageway. Hynd began drinking around 1:30 p.m. on the day of the incident and was described as 'pretty drunk' by an onlooker at another pub later in the evening. She left her home to visit her boyfriend shortly before the collision.
Hynd wept as Judge Michael O’Grady, KC, described the crime as 'very grave' and remanded her in custody. Advocate Ewen Roy, representing Hynd, reserved mitigation arguments for the sentencing hearing next month. The couple's three surviving children released a statement expressing their profound grief, saying, "We could never have prepared for losing our parents in this way. We miss them more than words can express."