Ex-boyfriend ‘deliberately barged car off the road after pursuit’
AMAN deliberately “barged” his ex-girlfriend’s car off the road after chasing her through the streets of Cardiff causing a fatal collision, a court heard.
Michael Wheeler, 23, from Rumney, has pleaded guilty to causing the death of Sophie Taylor and serious injury to her passenger Joshua Deguara by driving dangerously last summer.
Speaking at Cardiff Crown Court, defence barrister Christopher Rees described Wheeler’s driving as “an aggressive manoeuvre”.
Wheeler’s former partner Melissa Pesticcio denies the same charges, as well as two additional counts of dangerous driving, and is on trial.
The collision occurred at the junction between Meteor Street and Moira Street in Adamsdown at 12.35am on August 22, 2016.
Prosecutors say Wheeler and Pesticcio were involved in a “joint pursuit” which culminated in the fatal collision.
Mr Rees, representing Pesticcio, said: “It is my client’s case that it was Wheeler who performed an aggressive manoeuvre.”
The court heard she told police during an interview that she saw her former partner “barge” Ms Taylor’s black BMW One Series.
Mr Rees described it as “a deliberate barging movement” by Wheeler in his black Vauxhall Corsa.
Collision investigator PC Gareth Davies told the jury Wheeler was travelling at an average speed of 56mph down Meteor Street – a 30mph zone. He added Ms Taylor was driving at 53mph, while Pesticcio’s average speed down the same stretch of road was 46mph.
Prosecutor Matthew Cobbe said: “We know there came a time when Ms Taylor’s BMW was out of control.”
The court heard the front, lefthand side of the Corsa collided with the rear, right-hand side of the BMW. PC Davies said there was contact between the vehicles’ wheels and body work.
The court heard the BMW rotated clockwise after the contact with the Corsa and the collision investigator described the rotation as “very fast”.
He told the jury that at an average speed of 46mph, Pesticcio’s overall stopping distance would have been about 41 metres.
Mr Cobbe said: “There is no suggestion that Ms Pesticcio’s vehicle collided with any of these vehicles.”
The jury was shown a diagram of the collision site, annotated with tyre scuff marks, grind marks and a debris field.
PC Davies said there were three possibilities as to how the collision may have occurred, firstly that the BMW veered right, impacting with the Corsa. The witness said that may have been an “intentional defensive movement” by Ms Taylor to stop the Corsa from passing her.
Secondly, the collision investigator suggested the Corsa may have veered left into the BMW, possibly Wheeler taking “evasive action”.
He added: “It may have been an intentional manoeuvre to cause loss of control to the BMW.”
PC Davies suggested thirdly, the Corsa and BMW may have veered towards each other at the same time.
Mr Rees asked: “Do you agree that out of the three options, the most likely is a deliberate turn by Wheeler into Sophie Taylor’s vehicle?”
PC Davies replied: “On the tangible evidence, I can’t make a preference.”
But he accepted that when the CCTV and Pesticcio’s account to police were considered too, deliberate contact by Wheeler was “the probable cause of the collision”.
Forensic investigator Barry Seward, a defence witness, agreed with that theory and ruled out the other two possibilities.
Pesticcio, 23, from Marshfield Road, denies causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving, plus two counts of dangerous driving.
The trial continues.