Death crash driver fails to win appeal

11:00am Sunday 3rd June 2007

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A COMPANY director has lost his fight to overturn his conviction for careless driving after an accident which resulted in the death of Southamp-ton University's security supervisor.

Gary Reynolds, 50, died when his Harley Davidson collided with Stephen Stratton's BMW as it emerged from a side road near Kanes Hill on the A27.

The city crown court heard that Mr Reynolds, who lived in Old Street, Stubbington, was thrown over the bonnet of the car in the crash which happened at dusk on a dismal evening in October 2005.

The victim was thrown into bushes at the side of the road and died of a ruptured aorta.

Stratton, 50, had just left a small industrial unit where he ran a sheet metal business.

He said he had looked both ways before pulling out of the junction and hearing a bang.

He claimed his line of sight had been obscured by foliage and a lamp standard.

But that was rejected by Judge John Boggis QC who sat with two magistrates during the appeal.

The judge said: "We are sure he looked both ways and we are also sure he lost concentration for a moment.

"He began to pull out before making a final check to his right, the critical place to look."

Stratton, who formerly lived in Eastleigh but now lives in Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire, had been fined £2,000 with £625 costs by Southampton magistrates.

After losing the appeal, he was ordered to pay a further £750 costs.