A motorist who caused the death of a cyclist by driving carelessly on one of Aberdeen's busiest roads has been spared jail.

Stephen Cocker lost control of his silver BMW while overtaking a bus and ended up careering out of control and hitting father-of-three Neil Jaffrey.

The 32-year-old suffered "catastrophic" head injuries and died after he was thrown from the saddle on September 7, 2014.

Cocker, 51, appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court last month when he admitted causing Mr Cocker's death by driving without due care and attention.

He was spared jail when he appeared at the court to be sentenced on Friday.

Defence agent David Sutherland said his client had not seen the cyclist until he was already overtaking the single-decker.

The solicitor said the "split second" decision Cocker had taken that day to keep going with his manoeuvre had left him racked with "regret, sorrow and deep remorse".

The court heard there was no "excessive speed" involved in the accident and no explanation was given about why Cocker lost control of the car as road conditions were "unremarkable".

He ended up mounting the central reservation then travelled diagonally across the northbound carriageway before colliding with Mr Jaffrey. Court papers said the cyclist was "thrown into the air".

Sheriff William Summers said it was "impossible" to ignore his family's loss when deciding Cocker's fate but he added it came down to culpability.

In the circumstances, he ruled jail was not the most appropriate way to deal with the case.

The sheriff said: "It goes without saying that Mr Jaffrey's family will feel their loss for the rest of their lives. This is a sad and tragic case for all concerned."

Cocker was sentenced to 225 hours of unpaid work in the community as a direct alternative to prison.

He was also disqualified from driving for three years and will have to pass an extended test before getting his licence back.