THE key eyewitness in a trial where a wedding guest was killed gave an emotional account of watching the woman being run over, immediately ringing 999, and screaming to her manager for help.
Natasha Hobson-Shaw, who worked at Coniston Hotel and Spa, at Coniston Cold when 66-year-old Baildon grandmother Judith Wadsworth was struck and killed by a Range Rover on a pedestrian walkway at the complex, gave evidence at Bradford Crown Court today.
That vehicle was being driven by managing director of the hotel, Nicholas Bannister, 64, of Bell Busk, north-west of Skipton, who is on trial accused of causing Mrs Wadworth’s death by driving carelessly on February 7.
He denies the charge and claims he “didn’t see her” as he turned right at a t-junction onto the hotel complex’s access road to head towards the spa building to meet his son, the court heard on Monday.
Bannister struck Mrs Wadsworth at 5.21pm after she had been at the hotel for less than an hour, having arrived shortly after her daughter, Rebecca Blacker – who was due to get married the next day – and her maid-of-honour.
The managing director drove over her and only stopped 20 metres later because of a sound under his vehicle, the prosecution said in its opening statement.
Mrs Hobson-Shaw was an off-road instructor for the hotel’s 4x4 experience and was based in an office near the spa building where Bannister had been heading.
She had finished work and was heading down the access road when she spotted Mrs Wadsworth wandering from the car park towards the walkway and then Bannister turning right.
Mrs Hobson-Shaw said: “I genuinely thought that everything was going to be fine and he'd seen her and he was slowing down to stop, that's what I thought.”
Within seconds Mrs Wadsworth was hit by the car – on the right-hand side of the body according to the key eyewitness – and Mrs Hobson-Shaw was brought to tears when describing the aftermath.
She said: “Mrs Wadsworth collided with the front of Mr Bannister's car, Mr Bannister then sped up to carry on, my car was stopped at this point, I got out, erm, I then saw Mrs Wadsworth on the floor, I'd seen the extent of her injuries.”
Bannister came to a stop next to Mrs Hobson-Shaw and her vehicle.
Mrs Hobson-Shaw said: “I believe he might have stopped because I had stopped and got out then I do recall him saying 'what was that', so he obviously heard a noise.”
She added: “He said to me 'what was that', my reply was 'it's a f***ing person' is what I said.”
They both went towards Mrs Wadsworth and Mrs Hobson-Shaw immediately rang 999, then “screamed” her manager’s name, who came over to help, the court heard.
She said Bannister seemed very shocked and kept saying “I didn’t see her” repeatedly.
A number of agreed facts were also read out in court on Tuesday, relating to experts from both the prosecution and defence.
They looked at footage of a reconstruction of the crash, which took place in 2022, and specifically commented on the position of the person representing Mrs Wadsworth and the street furniture.
The experts said together: "We are of the opinion that Mrs Wadsworth can be seen to be partially obscured by a wooden post and a small post on the car park at the road edge.
"This obstruction would depend on the position of both Mrs Wadsworth and the vehicle relative to each other.
"This is a dynamic situation and these conditions changed."
The trial continues.
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