Shropshire Star

Motorist denies abandoning car to avoid police after fatal accident

A motorist has denied a charge which alleges he abandoned his car to "delay his detection by police" after a fatal accident on the A66.

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James Greenwood

Pedestrian James Greenwood, 61, died after he was in collision with a BMW 1 series at Braithwaite, near Keswick, in the early hours of April 7 last year.

Relatives of Mr Greenwood, who was from Market Drayton in Shropshire, were present in the public gallery at Carlisle Crown Court as the BMW driver, Matthew Paul Leggett, denied one charge.

This alleges that 24-year-old Leggett did acts "tending and intended to pervert the course of public justice".

The charge further alleges that Leggett "did a series of acts which had a tendency to pervert the course of public justice, in order to frustrate and delay his detection by the police".

The charge continues to allege that Leggett "drove his car some 12 miles away from the scene of an accident, and abandoned it at Setmurthy Woods, Cockermouth, and disposed of his mobile telephone".

Wearing a blue suit, Leggett – who was represented by lawyer Anthony Parkinson – spoke from the court dock both to confirm personal details and enter his not guilty plea.

A trial in front of a jury will now take place at the crown court. This is due to start on May 20, and is expected to last several days.

Until then, Leggett was granted bail by Judge James Adkin on condition that he lives at Sonnets Way, Cockermouth.

He faces no charges in relation to the actual collision between his vehicle and Mr Greenwood.

The family of Mr Greenwood paid tribute to him following the A66 accident.

In a statement they said: "It is with great sadness that Jimmy was tragically taken from us.

He was, they said, "a keen biker who had a larger than life personality, with family and friends at the centre of everything he did."

"His death has left a hole in our family that will never be filled," they added.

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