A police officer from Greater Manchester is awaiting trial for two dangerous driving offences after pleading not guilty and being granted unconditional bail.
Mark Burrows, from Reddish, Stockport, was excused from appearing in the dock at Chester Crown Court. He offered not guilty pleas to two charges: causing death by dangerous driving and the lesser charge of causing death by careless driving. It is not unusual in road traffic offences for both charges to be made in relation to the same accident. On this occasion, however, Burrows pleaded not guilty to both charges.
At around 10:00 am on 23 December 2022, the Greater Manchester Police officer Burrows was pursuing an Audi A3 that police believed to have been stolen. Burrows, who was driving an unmarked police car during the pursuit, collided with a Peugeot 108 being driven by 53-year-old Heather Smedley. The accident occurred at Oldham Road and Otmoor Way in Oldham. Ms. Smedley, a mother of three, died at the scene.
A trial date has been set for 27th April 2026. Until then, Burrows has been granted unconditional bail.
In cases like this, it is essential to take advice from qualified dangerous driving solicitors. Depending on the circumstances of the case and the evidence held by the prosecution, it may be advisable to plead guilty only to the lesser charge of causing death by careless driving (driving without due care and attention), unless, of course, there is clear evidence that the standard of driving meets the dangerous threshold.