Driver fined after horse death
A rider whose horse was killed ina traffic accident has finally seen the driver brought to justice after a year of wrangling with the authorities to get her case heard.
In January 2002, Rebecca Marment, 35, was riding Flint, her 15hh Irish Draught/cob, alone near her home when she heard a car approaching from behind.
By the time she looked round, the Audi estate had struck the back end of her horse. Flint fell, scrambled up briefly then died of shock at the scene, while Rebecca escaped with minor injuries.
The police decided not to take the case further but at Rebecca’s insistence, the case was sent to the Crown Prosecution Service, which agreed to take it to court.
Rebecca said: “There were no independent witnesses and I felt that the police had takenthe attitude that ‘it was only a horse’. It was only my determination that led to the conviction.”
The driver, whose three-year-old daughter was also in the car, told a bystander at the scene that he’d not seen the horse because the sun was inhis eyes, but later claimed that the horse had stepped out in front of his car.
He was found guilty of driving without due care and attention, fined £900 and given five penalty points on his driving licence.
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To contact Rebecca about her case email r_marment@hotmail.com
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