A judge apologised to an 83-year-old woman after she was hauled before a court charged with killing a speeding biker doing over 100mph at the time of a fatal crash.
Mavis Witts was cleared of any wrongdoing after she was accused of being responsible for the death of Stephen Ferguson, 51, on April 21 last year.And this one wasn't even a cop!
A court heard ... Mrs Witts could do nothing to avoid the collision.
So why was she charged? This takes two - the police and the CPS. Why did both fuck up yet again?
And after having legal proceedings lingering over her for the past 18 months, the pensioner was finally exonerated of any blame on Tuesday. Judge Sylvia de Bertodano apologised for the 'distress' caused by her case after the prosecution offered no further evidence at Warwick Crown Court.
The judge was particularly savage in her summing up:
Judge de Bertodano said: 'You may not get an apology from anyone else, so you are going to get one from me.
'It would be very distressing to be involved in such a collision, and to then get suggestions it was your fault, when it is perfectly clear that it is not, must be even more distressing.
'There is no suggestion at all that you did anything wrong. It could have happened to anyone.'
Indeed. Both the collision, and the subsequent wasted efforts and taxpayer resources.
8 comments:
The CPS was created specifically to strip corrupt plod of their much abused power to prosecute. What was not anticipated, was plod's back door ability to corrupt CPS and negate an expensive provision.
The person who was unjustly and charged without good cause was just low hanging fruit and probably of the correct ethnic and age group that she could be prosecuted without fear of pushback by our increasingly lazy and bent police and CPS systems.
One wonders if the deceased biker was one of the funny handshake brigade.............
Let's hope the lady has her expenses and compensation for wrongful prosecution paid from the Police and GPS budgets rather than from 'central funds' (that means you, me, and every other taxpayer). Perhaps that may concentrate their minds somewhat. I hope she's not holding her breath waiting for written apologies.
Penseivat
Doesn't she now have a case for wrongful prosecution? Certainly, the biker's insurance should now pay up.
Height (and being male) used to be a criterion for becoming a policeman, stupidity (and ethnicity) now seems to be their replacement.
It was worth a try, an 82 year old might have savings or own a house that the state could seize. After all she might be a push over in court at that age and guilty or not guilty the system needs money, they don't get much if that persecuting criminals or travellers do they? As always in modern UK it's the law abiding that have most to fear from the do called justice system.
Anon @ 13.31,
As a now retired (thank goodness) Police officer, I can confirm that there is a great gap between the Law and justice, lgislation and common sense.
" What was not anticipated, was plod's back door ability to corrupt CPS ..."
Oh, I think the Common Purpose footsoldiers beat them to it...
"...probably of the correct ethnic and age group that she could be prosecuted without fear of pushback..."
Undoubtedly! If I were her, I'd instruct lawyers. Because as Penseivat points out, she'll get very little she doesn't fight tooth and nail for.
"Certainly, the biker's insurance should now pay up."
There's an interesting wrinkle! Maybe her insurance company has some teeth?
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