Conviction for fatalities

Press, 30 May 1981, Page 4

Conviction for fatalities

A man, aged 40, convicted of causing the death of. a motor-cyclist and his pillion passenger as a result of a collision in Cranford Street in February was remanded on bail to June 12 for- a probation report and sentence when he appeared in the District. Court before Judge Paterson yesterday. Nga Kimiia (Miss S. Fleming), -unemployed, had pleaded guilty to a charge that while driving with an excess blood-alcohol level he had, by an act or omission, caused the deaths of Stephen Mark Double, aged 18, and Stuart William Albert Long, aged 15, on February 19. Sergeant G. G. Cleland said that at 9.30 p.m. that day the motor-cyclist and his passenger were driving south the defendant in a car, was driving north. A pedestrian had seen the defendant’s . car overtake three cars, travel across the road close to the opposite kerb, then veer back to the correct side. She had then heard a loud explosion.

Another driver had seen the defendant’s vehicle veering from side to side of the road.

Sergeant Cleland said it was estimated that oh impact with the motor-cycle the defendant’s car was travelling at 90 to lOOkm/h.

As a result of t|ie impact the two youths were thrown into the air and landed 24 metres apart; The motor-cycle burst into : flames and firemen from the St Albans station rushed out to extinguish it. The collision took place almost outside the fire station. ; The defendant’s vehicle carried on for a further 45 metres and came to rest on a front lawn after crashing through a concrete fence. One of the youths was found to be dead on arrival at hospital and the other died later that night, he said.

Interviewed at the scene of the accident the defendant told the police he had probably consumed four jugs of beer in three hotels prior to the fatal accident.

A blood specimen from the defendant showed on analysis a reading of 205 milligrams of alcohol to 100 millilitres of blood, said Sergeant Cleland.

The defendant told the police that the cause of the accident was because he had been drinking, and driving too fast.

An examination of the defendant’s vehicle revealed four worn smooth tyres and a broken handbrake cable but no fault which might have contributed to the accident, said Sergeant Cleland.