Crash deaths passer-by tried to give CPR

Father and son Dean and Charlie Lowe died after being hit by a van on 5 August 2023

A woman has described in court finding a father and son who were killed in a road crash and trying to give medical attention, breaking down in tears several times while giving evidence.

Amanda Fairnie told a trial Jersey's Royal Court she and her husband Andrew found the bodies of Dean, 48, and Charlie Lowe, 11, on La Rue de Fauvic in Grouville on 5 August last year.

Dylan Pounds is standing trial over the deaths of the Lowes, who were hit by a van while walking along the road.

The 29-year-old denies two charges of causing death by dangerous driving and another of causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drink or drugs. The trial continues.

'Did not respond'

Ms Fairnie said she was driving and broke sharply when she noticed something on the road.

She said she put her vehicle's warning lights on and went straight over to what turned out to be the body of Charlie Lowe.

When asked if he was moving, Ms Fairnie tearfully said: "No."

She added she tried to see if he was breathing, but when asked if Charlie made any sounds or respond, Ms Fairnie said he did not.

Ms Fairnie said that, after her husband called 999, she noticed another body further up the road which also was not moving or responding, which was Dean.

She told the court she gave Dean cardiopulmonary resuscitation [CPR] while another man, who also stopped while driving past the scene, held his head.

While Ms Fairnie gave evidence, Mr Pounds stared at the floor.

'I was shocked'

The court also heard from another witness, Kyle Stratford, who said he noticed a van driving at speed on Princes Tower Road at about 21:45 BST.

Mr Stratford said the van had a lot of damage on the front passenger side and windscreen, describing it as looking like something had landed on it.

He told the court he was taken aback because he was surprised to see how much damage the van had.

"I was shocked, I guess," Mr Stratford said.

He added it looked like the vehicle was going faster than 30mph (48km/h).

'Significant damage'

Dr Russell Delaney, the UK Home Office pathologist who performed post-mortem examinations on the Lowes, said the father and son had sustained multiple injuries.

He told the court he believed Dean's cause of death was head and neck injuries.

He said the injuries would have rendered Dean unconscious and killed him very quickly.

Dr Delaney added Charlie's cause of death was a head injury.

The court also heard from Chris Hopkins, a post-collision inspector who looked over the van involved in the crash.

He said the vehicle's bodywork had sustained significant damage and it was "quite shocking" to him.

Mr Hopkins said glass was still falling off the vehicle when he examined it.

The court has been told one of the pubs Dylan Pounds was drinking at was the Dolphin Hotel

Evidence was also heard from States analyst Nicholas Hubbard who described three scenarios for alcohol in blood which took into account Mr Pounds' height, weight and age.

Mr Hubbard said the first looked at alcohol only being consumed in the Pembroke pub and Dolphin Hotel, two of the establishments the defendant was seen at on the day.

He said the other scenarios considered if Mr Pounds had drunk two, or three, pints at the Union Inn, the other bar he visited.

Mr Hubbard told the court the scenarios ranged from Mr Pounds being one-and-a-half times over the drink-drive limit to two-and-a-half times over the limit.

However, Mr Hubbard said he can not say with certainty that the defendant was over the legal limit.

The court has been told Dylan Pounds drank at three pubs - including the Union Inn

Earlier in the trial, which started on Monday, prosecutors told the court Mr Pounds had been drinking throughout the day at pubs in Jersey.

The said Mr Pounds left the Dolphin Hotel at about 21:20 and got a bus back to the Pembroke, where he had been drinking earlier on the day, before driving off in his can just after 21:35, about 10 minutes before the fatal crash happened.

Mr Pounds has admitted causing death by careless driving and failing to stop and report an accident, but has denied dangerous driving offences.