Ravin Ganatra's careless driving cost Terry Angel's life (From This is Hampshire)

Ravin Ganatra's careless driving cost Terry Angel's life

10:45am Thursday 9th July 2009

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AN actor has been convicted of careless driving after an attempted U-turn resulted in the death of a motorcyclist.

Southampton magistrates heard how motorcyclist Terry Angel from Chandler’s Ford was killed when his Suziki Bandit collided with the back of Ravin Ganatra’s black Skoda Octavia.

Ganatra had attempted to turn his car around after taking the wrong exit off a roundabout at junction five of the M27.

Mr Angel, 45, was coming off the roundabout in following traffic.

Robert Hall, for Ganatra, said he had looked over his shoulder and checked his mirrors before performing the manoeuvre and had not seen the motorcycle. He told the court: “If he had he wouldn’t have started the manoeuvre would he?”

But magistrates said there was no evidence Mr Angel had been speeding and found Ganatra had restricted visibility because of a car behind him.

Chairman of the bench Johnny Johnson said in the circumstances a “reasonable, prudent and competent” driver would not have attempted the U-turn but pulled over or carried on. He said Ganatra had made an “an error of judgement that had such tragic consequences.”

Ganatra, from Borehamwood, had been travelling with his wife, son, niece and dad to Lakeside Park.

The actor has had bit parts in TV shows including Eastenders, Coronation Street. Torchwood and The Bill. He also played a security guard in the film Entrapment, which starred Catherine Zeta Jones.

Pleading for a lenient sentence Mr Hall said it had been “not a good year financially” for Ganatra.

He was given six penalty points and fined £500 after being found guilty of driving without due care and attention.

He was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £2,370 and a £15 victim surcharge.

Speaking after the trial, Mr Angel’s wife Jo, 42, said her husband was a very popular man who loved motorbikes.

“I’m glad it’s over but it doesn’t change anything. I always knew Terry was a very competent motorcycle rider. All his family and friends were so shocked by what happened.

They have all been fantastic and very supportive.

“I would rather Mr Ganatra would have said it’s a terrible accident and I’m sorry, rather than having to go through this but I don’t wish him any ill.”

A new offence of causing death by careless driving, for which a jail term can be imposed, was brought in just two weeks after the accident on August 1 last year.

Ganatra declined to comment.

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