Judge appologises for dragging 83 year old through court

A JUDGE apologised to an 83-year-old woman after she was dragged before a court charged with killing a biker.

Mavis Witts received an apology and was cleared of any wrongdoing after she was accused of being responsible for the death of Stephen Ferguson, 51, on April 21 last year.

The elderly motorist was charged with causing death by careless driving after she struck Mr. Ferguson with her Renault Kangoo in Rugby, Warwickshire.

A court heard that the motorcyclist was travelling at over 100mph along a 50mph road at the time of the crash and Mrs Witts could not have done anything to avoid the collision.

And after having legal proceedings lingering over her for the past 18 months, the pensioner was finally exonerated of any wrongdoing.

Judge Sylvia de Bertodano apologised for the ‘distress’ caused by her case after the prosecution offered no further evidence at Warwick Crown Court.

She told the defendant there was no suggestion she had done anything wrong and ‘it could have happened to anyone.’

Judge de Bertodano said: ‘You may not get an apology from anyone else, so you are going to get one from me.

‘It would be very distressing to be involved in such a collision, and to then get suggestions it was your fault when it is perfectly clear that it is not, must be even more distressing.

‘There is no suggestion at all that you did anything wrong. It could have happened to anyone.’

Mrs Witts first appeared before magistrates charged with killing Mr Ferguson on February 12, she then had her cases at crown court prolonged further after they were put back in March and April due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mrs Witts pleaded not guilty to the charge, and prosecutor Hugh O’Brien-Quinn, said he would offer no evidence against her.

Mr O’Brien-Quinn said, ‘The allegation is one of causing death by careless driving.

‘The deceased was on a motorbike which collided with the defendant’s car as she crossed a major road.

‘There is a joint report from the defence expert and the police expert which has concluded that the deceased was driving at in excess of 100mph on his motorbike.

‘When she looked, he would have been so far away that she concluded it would be safe to pull out, and had he been doing the speed limit, she would have been able to do so.’