Jury sent out in trial of Northumbria police officer who caused fatal collision in Gateshead
PC Mark Roberts was responding to an emergency call out when he went through a red light, colliding with Ronald and Muriel Pinkney
The jury in the trial of a Northumbria police officer who caused a fatal collision with a 74-year-old woman on a motorbike while he responded to a 999 call has been sent out to consider its verdicts.
Pc Mark Roberts was driving to a grade-one emergency call about a choking baby when he went through a red light and collided with Ronald and Muriel Pinkney.
Mrs Pinkney sustained fatal head and neck injuries in the collision near the MetroCentre in Gateshead in July 2022.
The 57-year-old Northumbria Police officer, who lives in Darlington, has admitted causing death by careless driving but denies the more serious offence of causing death by dangerous driving.
Teesside Crown Court has heard the prosecution say that Roberts was speeding when he went through the red light, which had been on "stop" for six seconds, and that he should have approached it more slowly.
Roberts did not give evidence but the jury was read a prepared statement he gave to investigators in which he called the collision "a tragic accident".
Mr Pinkney, 81, was also injured and suffered bleeding on the brain and multiple fractures which required surgery, the jury was told.
Roberts admitted causing Mr Pinkney serious injury by careless driving but denies causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
Judge Francis Laird KC sent the jury out on Wednesday morning to consider their verdicts.