A woman accused of causing death by dangerous driving continually broke down in tears and sobbed, as she took to the witness stand.

She faces accusations she was embroiled in a road rage dispute and not concentrating on the road when she hit a cyclist. Paige Robinson, 24, insisted he would not have crashed into the back of Graham Pattison's bike if her co-accused hadn't swerved towards her, causing her to steer away and collide with the cyclist on the A689.

Teesside Crown Court previously heard Mr Pattison was propelled 40 metres into the air; that he hit Robinson's bonnet and windscreen, and suffered catastrophic spinal injuries.

He was pronounced dead shortly after the crash which happened around 4.10pm on July 24, 2020. Robinson, of Geranium Close in Billingham, and Ferry, 47, of Granville Terrace, in Redcar, both deny the charge of causing death by dangerous driving.

Robinson was in her white Ford Fiesta, and her boyfriend was in the passenger seat - she was driving home from the Metro Centre. Ferry was returning from Durham in his black Audi TT; he had been visiting his daughter.

On Friday, prosecutor Nick Dry accused Robinson of lying about what really happened on the stretch of road east of junction 60 of the A1, just before Sedgefield. He asked: "Was your boyfriend getting angry and annoyed with the Audi driver?"

Sobbing, Robinson replied: "No, he was singing to N-Dubz." Mr Dry continued: "Is it not the case that you are telling lies trying to save your own skin?"

"No absolutely not" said Robinson: "What I said in my interview, in both interviews, is what I said today." Robinson cried as Mr Dry told her: "Mr Pattison was an experienced cyclist. But now he’s dead. You were hurtling down that road at 70mph with your mind elsewhere."

Robinson collapsed in tears and Judge Carroll stepped in: "Give her a moment please. The suggestion is that your mind was not on the road but on what was going on between you and the Audi, whilst driving at 70mph."

Robinson told the judge: "I was watching the road but some of my concentration was on him."

The court heard that Robinson had told police, during questioning, that there should be a cycle lane on the A689, but on Friday she said she meant that she didn't know bikes were allowed on 70mph roads. When Mr Dry accused Robinson of burying her head in the sand about what she had done, she broke down again.

She told the court: "I see that man’s face every day. It was the most traumatic thing I have seen. I don’t want to remember that."

Robinson claims that co-accused David Ferry had been shouting, gesturing and swearing at her, after she changed lanes in front of him at the junction with the A1. She told the court that Ferry drove in front of her on the A689, continually putting his brakes on and then speeding up.

She said that when she pulled into the left lane to get away from Ferry, he came up side-by-side with her and swerved left as if to hit her. The court heard that when she swerved to avoid him, she hit Graham Pattison, 49, on his bike.

Prosecutors say Robinson was embroiled in a road rage dispute with Ferry, and the two are equally to blame for causing the death of the cyclist. Ferry will take to the witness stand to give his account next week.

The trial continues.

https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/i-see-face-everyday-woman-23825223

On 29/04/2022 16:14, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

> A woman accused of causing death by dangerous driving continually broke down in tears and sobbed, as she took to the witness stand.

> The trial continues.

I thought we had already had the verdict, several times in fact. What's
this 'trial' thing all about, then?

> https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/i-see-face-everyday-woman-23825223

--
Spike

On Friday, April 29, 2022 at 5:14:09 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
> A woman accused of causing death by dangerous driving continually broke down in tears and sobbed, as she took to the witness stand.

>
> The trial continues.

BANK HOLIDAY TOO - MORE TIME FOR THE IDIOT DRIVERS TO STEW IN THEIR OWN JUICES.

>
> https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/i-see-face-everyday-woman-23825223