Skipton wedding hotel boss ran over bride's mother, court hears

Nicholas Bannister, 64, pictured arriving at Bradford Crown Court on Monday

The mother of a bride was killed at a hotel in North Yorkshire when she was run over by a Range Rover driven by the venue's owner, a court has heard.

Judith Wadsworth, 66, was struck while she was on a pedestrian crossing at the Coniston Hotel in February 2020.

Ms Wadsworth was at the hotel near Skipton to attend her daughter's wedding, a trial at Bradford Crown Court was told.

Nicholas Bannister, 64, denies causing her death by careless driving.

The jury heard that Ms Wadsworth was bringing items from the car park to the hotel's reception when the collision occurred on 7 February 2020.

Mr Bannister, of Bell Busk, North Yorkshire, was also in the reception when some of the luggage was being brought in, but he then left to drive his vehicle towards the hotel's spa, the court was told.

He turned right out of a junction on the hotel's grounds and his Range Rover then struck Ms Wadsworth on the crossing at about 17:20 GMT, the court heard.

Judith Wadsworth was struck while on a pedestrian crossing at the Coniston Hotel in February 2020, the court heard

Mr Bannister drove on for about 65ft (20m) before a sound beneath his car caused him to stop his vehicle, prosecution barrister Michael Smith said.

After the collision, Mr Bannister told a witness he had not seen Ms Wadsworth.

The Bradford Crown Court jury heard that experts said he was travelling at between 9mph and 12mph (14 to 19km/h) at the time of the collision.

Mr Smith said it was the prosecution's case that Mr Bannister did not see Ms Wadsworth because "at the time he was not driving with due care or attention".

"'I just didn't see her' doesn't adequately account for these circumstances," Mr Smith said.

The trial continues.