Man changes plea and admits causing woman’s crash death
ADRIVER who was standing trial accused of causing the death of a grandmother by driving dangerously pleaded guilty yesterday.
John Morgan, 47, had accepted that his driving fell below the standard of a competent and careful driver, but previously denied that it was dangerous.
On the third day of a trial at Newport Crown Court yesterday, Morgan – of Ton Mawr Road in Blaenavon – changed his plea and admitted causing death by dangerous driving.
A 50-year-old woman died as a result of the crash on September 17 last year, which happened near a petrol station on the B4246 Abergavenny Road in Blaenavon, just after 8pm.
Morgan’s Volvo C70 collided with a Kawasaki motorbike ridden by Brian Jones, with his wife, Ray Jones, sitting as a passenger.
The court previously heard that 50-year-old grandmother Mrs Jones went into cardiac arrest after the crash and died at the scene, with a post-mortem examination revealing she died of head injuries.
She had been celebrating her upcoming wedding anniversary with her husband on the day of the fatal crash.
Mr Jones was riding a black Kawasaki motorbike with his wife sitting as a “pillion passenger” as they travelled in the direction of their home in Pontypool.
The trial heard that in Morgan’s first police interview – the day after the incident – he told officers he stopped at the junction of the petrol station for four or five seconds and looked left, then right, then left again.
But after he was shown CCTV, he gave a prepared statement saying: “I accept that I pulled out of the junction without looking properly.
“This was the result of a momentary lapse of concentration on my part.”
The court heard that the obligation was on the car driver to ensure the manoeuvre could be carried out safely.
Prosecutor Janet McDonald previously told the court that the defendant failed to stop and look before pulling out, and a witness also claimed he “shot out” directly into the path of the motorbike when the incident took place.
She said that Morgan showed a “sloppy attitude” behind the wheel as he did not put on his seatbelt before leaving the petrol station.
He accepted he should have been wearing a seatbelt but told the jury he did not put it on because it did not fit comfortably.
Yesterday, Morgan said: “They’re small seatbelts in that make of car. As you can see, I’m a big guy. A lot of the seatbelt is taken up with my girth.”
Giving evidence in court yesterday, Morgan said he had an afternoon nap and left his home around 7.20pm to visit his sister and baby nephew on the day of the crash.
He stated he was planning to get fuel before driving to get a Chinese takeaway.
Morgan told the jury he had visited the garage “countless” times and was very familiar with the layout.
Chantelle Panesar, who worked at the garage, said Morgan told her he had not long woken up and was tired, which he disputes.
Morgan changed his plea and pleaded guilty yesterday at Newport Crown Court to causing death by dangerous driving.
Judge Thomas Crowther QC said: “We may sometimes make mistakes but we know from childhood to admit to them sooner. We have to take responsibility for the mistakes we make.
“We have seen the family (of the victim) go through hell.”
Judge Crowther added that Morgan had carried out a “serious dangerous manoeuvre” at the time of the incident.
Morgan was remanded in custody until sentencing on December 15.