Bride's mum run over and killed at wedding reception by hotel boss, court hears
A hotel boss knocked over and killed the mother of the bride as she attended her daughter’s wedding, a court heard.
Judith Wadsworth, 66, died when she was hit by Nicholas Bannister, 64, at the wheel of his Range Rover as she crossed a raised pedestrian walkway at the luxury Coniston Hotel and Spa, in the Yorkshire Dales. Bannister drove on for 20 metres and only stopped when he heard sounds under his vehicle.
When Bannister did stop and a hotel employee, who witnessed the collision, rushed to help, the hotel boss still had “no clue” what had happened. Bannister repeatedly told staff and wedding guests “I didn’t see her” after the collision at around 5.21pm on February 7, 2020.
Grandmother Mrs Wadsworth had been collecting boxes for her daughter Rebecca Blacker’s wedding from her vehicle in the car park and was returning to the reception when the collision happened. Prosecutor Michael Smith told a jury at Bradford Crown Court it was twilight at the time, Bannister had his headlights on and he hit Mrs Wadsworth at between 9-12mph as she stepped out onto the walkway.
Bannister denies driving without due care and attention (Ben Lack Photography Ltd)The jury was shown CCTV from the hotel lobby, on which Mrs Wadsworth was seen bringing in boxes to the reception as Bannister chats to staff minutes before the fatal collision. Mr Smith told the trial: "Judith Wadsworth was attending the Coniston Hotel on 7 February 2020 to attend her daughter's wedding.
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"The party was in reception and in the usual way people do when they arrive at a hotel, people were bringing things into reception and Judith Wadsworth was bringing items in for her daughter from the car park into the reception area."
Bannister was also carrying out errands and left the reception and got in his Range Rover to drive to the hotel spa. Mr Smith said: “As he drove to the spa complex of the hotel, he knocked Judith Wadsworth over, unhappily, killing her.
"It's the prosecution's case that in the immediate aftermath of the collision the defendant repeatedly said, 'I didn't see her'. What's at the heart of this case is whether the defendant was driving with due care and attention as he drove his Range Rover around his hotel complex.
"It's the prosecution's case the fact he didn't see a pedestrian who was crossing back into reception across a pedestrian walkway, the fact he didn't see her at all, even when he collided with her, was evidence he was driving carelessly. The defendant doesn't accept that assertion.
"The defence's case is that he was not careless, that what occurred was an unfortunate accident, that he took care to perform the correct manoeuvre." Mr Smith added: "It's not disputed as the defendant struck her, he still did not realise he hit her, so he drove on for about 20 metres, before a sound under the car caused him to stop."
Hotel employee Natasha Hobson-Shaw saw the collision as she drove towards Bannister’s Range Rover. Mr Smith said: “It was clear from their conversation when they stopped and got out of the car, the defendant had no clue what had happened”.
Bannister denies causing the death of Judith Wadsworth by driving without due care and attention.
The trial continues.
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