Driver is cleared of hitting car

Driver is cleared of hitting car

20 July 2016

A SEAFORDE woman accused of damaging a parked car while doing a three-point turn on a one-way street has been cleared of all charges.

Holly Watson (22) had been charged with careless driving, failing to stop at an accident, failing to report it and failing to remain at Shore Street, Killyleagh, on October 31 last year.

Monday’s sitting of Downpatrick Court heard Ms Watson, of Manse Road, Seaforde, had been giving a lift to a friend who had been at the Smugglers Rest pub that evening. 

According to the friend, who gave evidence for the prosecution, Ms Watson was travelling the wrong way on the one-way street. He said she appeared to stall when turning the car. 

He then claimed that when they were back in the area later that evening to pick someone else up, she realised she had actually dented another car.

A car, similar to one the witness saw, was reported damaged in the street the next day.

The witness told the court he had hoped the issue of the damaged car would have been sorted out without him getting involved but later felt it was on his conscience to make a statement to police.

The man’s account was rejected by a defence lawyer who claimed he was drunk and on drugs that evening.

Pointing to a social media post, which he claimed backed up his this version of events, the barrister said the witness had made up the police statement to get back at Ms Watson after a falling out.

“We fall out all the time,” the man retorted. He added that this version of events was “entirely untrue”.

Ms Watson told the court she had brought her former friend back to her and her boyfriend’s house that evening as she didn’t want to see him get in trouble at home due to his intoxicated state.

She claimed “his eyes were rolling back in his head” and denied that he had been invited back for a couple of drinks, as the witness had claimed.

Ms Watson also denied returning to Killyleagh later that evening to pick anyone else up.

When questioned about her now ex-friend, she said it was “not a healthy relationship” and that he had caused upset amongst a group of friends leading to a fall-out.

Ms Watson’s boyfriend also told the court that the witness had been “out of his mind” that evening.

Deputy District Judge Paul Conway said the evidence against Ms Watson was not strong enough for a conviction. Of the passenger witness, he said: “I am not satisfied that he was not under the influence of drugs that evening.”

A prosecutor had already agreed that the failing to remain at the scene accusation could be withdrawn and the defendant was found not guilty on the remaining charges.

However the judge was critical of the performance of both parties in the witness box and said court time had been wasted in the case.

He said the group of friends in question were behaving as if they were in the television programmes “The Only Way is Essex or Made in Chelsea”.

“It is about time you and your group of friends started to grow up and stop behaving like you are appearing on a fly on the wall documentary,” he said.