Woman ‘running late’ for beauty salon appointment killed couple in crash

A woman accused of causing the deaths of a couple by careless driving has declined to give evidence in her defence to a jury at her trial. Laila Barnard-Wigley, 25, did not answer any questions when she was interviewed by the police after the collision, but claimed in a statement she could not remember precise details, a court heard. She now faces two charges of causing death by careless driving after the jury was directed to return verdicts of not guilty in relation to charges of causing the deaths by dangerous driving, and causing serious injury to a boy by dangerous driving.

Barnard-Wigley, of Thoresby Avenue, Bridlington, originally denied causing the deaths of Dean Yarrow and Faye Wardle by dangerous driving on May 7, 2021 and causing serious injury to the boy by dangerous driving. The jury at Hull Crown Court was told that there was now insufficient evidence to convict her of the two charges of causing the deaths of the couple by dangerous driving as well as the third charge involving causing serious injury to a boy, reports Hull Live.[3] Barnard-Wigley had veered across the road and crashed into a car that was heading in the opposite direction, the prosecution alleges.

She was said to have been “in a hurry” to get to a Bridlington beauty salon and made five or six attempts to overtake another car a few minutes earlier. Barnard-Wigley, the jury was told, was running late to get to the salon for 3.30pm. The collision happened just before 3.30pm as she drove a black Mercedes Benz car southbound on the A165 at Scarborough Road, Bridlington, north of the junction of Grindale Road crossroads.

She was in collision with a red Peugeot 208 car being driven northbound by Mr Yarrow, 33, who had his girlfriend, Miss Wardle, 32, in the front passenger seat. Their car ended up in a field and they died at the scene from their injuries. A young boy was in the rear of the car and he suffered serious injuries that needed a plaster cast for a time.

Barnard-Wigley, the jury was told, lost control of her car and it drifted over into the line of traffic coming the other way. The prosecution allege she was driving at a speed that wasn’t appropriate for the weather[4] conditions. The jury was told Barnard-Wigley would not be giving evidence in her defence following the closing of the prosecution case.

Defence barrister Richard Dawson said: “We do not propose to call any further evidence in support of the defence case.” Judge John Thackray KC told the jury: “The defendant is not giving evidence. It’s the defendant’s right not to give evidence.

Under our law, no one is required to give evidence at his or her trial. You must not hold it against this defendant that she has exercised this right.” The factual basis on which the jury had to decide whether Barnard-Wigley was guilty or not guilty was agreed, added the judge.

Earlier, the court heard agreed facts that, during her interviews, Barnard-Wigley did not answer any questions put to her by the police but provided a pre-prepared statement. In it, she denied causing death by dangerous driving and denied driving dangerously. She denied that the standard of her driving fell below the standard of a careful driver.

She claimed that she could not recall the precise details of the accident and that this might have been because of the shock of what had happened. Barnard-Wigley claimed that she had been driving in a “competent and careful” manner before the accident and overtook in a competent and careful manner. She claimed that she was on her side of the road after overtaking.

It was raining, there was a dip in the road and it was wet. She claimed that she could not remember losing control of her car and that the standard of her driving did not fall below that of a careful and competent driver. She had suffered flashbacks and nightmares.

Judge Thackray told the court on Monday that the prosecution had to prove that, in the case of causing death by dangerous driving, the driving by Barnard-Wigley fell far below the required standard and that she was solely responsible for the loss of control that caused her car to go into the incoming carriageway.

The trial continues.

References

1. ^ The huge transformation of a Greater Manchester neighbourhood named among the ‘best up-and-coming places to live’ (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
2. ^ “FREDO DROPS ALL DAY”: The brothers who ran an infamous south Manchester drug line from their house (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
3. ^ reports Hull Live. (www.hulldailymail.co.uk)
4. ^ weather (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)