Fatal crash accused was cowardly, court told

A MAN accused of causing a fatal car crash by standing in the middle of an unlit road at night was a coward who ran away from his responsibility, a court has heard.

Jonathan Ferguson, of Elm Park, Moneymore, Co Londonderry, denies unlawfully killing Bernie McNicholl in the early hours of April 12, 2015.

She was a front seat passenger in a car driven by her friend Denise Mackle, with another friend in the rear.

They were returning from a night out, and Ms Mackle had driven onto the Moneymore Road, Cookstown, at around 2.30am.

The prosecution say Ferguson was standing in the middle of the unlit road, with his arms out, trying to stop traffic.

Ms Mackle swerved to avoid him and collided with a tree. The passenger-side bore the impact and Mrs McNicholl died instantly from head trauma.

Ferguson’s manslaughter trial has entered the closing stages at Dungannon Crown Court. Yesterday, prosecution counsel Conor Maguire QC said Ferguson hadn’t tried to assist the injured.

“He knew from the first second this happened it was trouble for him.

“He was responsible and he wasn’t going to face up to that responsibility. His actions were cowardly. He ran away.”

Defence counsel Jim Gallagher QC said Ferguson wasn’t on the road where the accident occurred, and “not one person” had been able to identify him being there.

The jury is expected to retire to commence deliberations today.