A DRIVER who claims he was blacked out at the wheel when his car hit and killed a pensioner has lodged an appeal against his conviction.

A solicitor acting for Vincent Friel has submitted an application for appeal after obtaining additional medical evidence, he told the Evening Times.

Friel, 45, was jailed for three years and banned from driving for five after a jury found him guilty of causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving.

Grandmother Carol Collins, 68, from Pollok, described as a "wonderful mother and grandmother", suffered a serious head injury never regained consciousness after the Rutherglen businessman’s black Range Rover drove slowly through a red light and hit her.

Her cousin, Margaret Haldane, 69, who was walking beside her, was knocked to the ground by the 4x4 and suffered a shattered wrist.

The tragedy happened on Barrhead Road, near Silverburn shopping centre in the south of Glasgow on January 18, 2014.

Friel, who had lodged a special defence of automatism, claimed he lost consciousness behind the wheel after suffering a syncope - the same condition which cause bin lorry crash driver Harry Clarke to black out behind the wheel killing six.

His defence counsel argued during the trial that Friel - who has a history of high blood pressure - had been prescribed medication which made his blood pressure to dip too low, after complaining to a doctors of "sex headaches", and this caused him to lose consciousness.

Two medical experts said a faint was possible, but they could not make a definitive diagnosis.

An expert witness for the Crown, a cardiologist, told a jury he did not believe Friel had passed out.

And the defence was rejected by a jury after six days of evidence at the High Court in Edinburgh.

They took an hour and 40 minutes to reach a majority verdict, on February 17.

Glasgow-based solicitor Richard Freeman, now acting for Friel, previously said the driver’s position is that he was stopped at the red light when he blacked out but his automatic car moved forward when his foot came off the brake and struck the cousins.

Mr Freeman, who took on the case after conviction, told the Evening Times: “We have a favourable report from a syncope expert – the medical experts who gave evidence in the trial were cardiologists.

“The expert is of the opinion that what took place is consistent with Mr Friel having suffered a syncope episode.”

He added that the appeal is in the early stages and that a full report will be submitted in the coming weeks.

The appeal will then go before a single judge who will determine whether or not there is justification for the appeal before a full hearing is set.

Mr Freeman added that the hearing is likely to be a “few months away”.

A spokesman for the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service said: “I can confirm that Vincent Friel has lodged an appeal against conviction.

“This is still at the preliminary stage of collecting documents and no hearing date has yet been set.”

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service declined to comment.