Accused denies ‘hunting’ woman through Cardiff

A WOMAN accused of causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving “hunted” her alleged victim across Cardiff in the early hours, a court heard.

Melissa Pesticcio, who is on trial at Cardiff Crown Court, told the jury she did not believe her driving on the night of the fatal collision last summer was dangerous.

During cross-examination, prosecutor Matthew Cobbe asked her: “Do you think your driving – chasing Sophie Taylor along Newport Road – was safe?”

Ms Taylor was 22 when she died in the collision between Meteor Street and Moira Street at 12.35am on August 22 last year, while her passenger Joshua Deguara suffered life-changing injuries.

The defendant denies jointly chasing Ms Taylor with her former partner Michael Wheeler, 23, from Harlech Road. He has pleaded guilty to causing death and serious injury.

Judge Thomas Crowther QC asked her: “If you take out the word chase, do you think your driving was safe?”

Pesticcio replied: “I think I was fully in control of my car.”

Asked if she would have driven in the same way with her friend’s children in the car, she replied: “No, but I don’t think my driving was dangerous.”

Mr Cobbe asked: “Did it feel like a chase? At any point, did it feel like a pursuit? This wasn’t you two hunting Sophie?”

The defendant replied “definitely not”, but said it did feel like Wheeler was chasing Ms Taylor.

She told the court she felt “hurt” when Ms Taylor started dating her ex and accepted “disliking” her, but denied “hating” her.

Pesticcio said she received a phone call from Wheeler saying he was planning to “smash up” Ms Taylor’s black BMW One Series with a crow bar.

She told the court she wanted to try to calm him down and did not want any physical harm to come to Ms Taylor.

Mr Cobbe said: “I’m suggesting that the whole point [of following Ms Taylor] was to chase her out of the area. You wanted her out of Rumney.”

Pesticcio denied that and told the court she wanted to help diffuse the situation.

Asked about the aftermath of the collision, she said Wheeler told her: “Keep your f***ing mouth shut.”

She told the jury she lied to police because she was scared of him, adding: “I am ashamed about telling lies.”

Pesticcio, 23, from Marshfield Road, denies causing death and serious injury and two counts of dangerous driving.

The trial continues.