A man from Devon has been convicted of careless driving without due care and attention at a trial in Exeter Magistrates’ Court.
Jonathan Clarke-Irons had pleaded not guilty to the charge, but evidence from CCTV and the defendant’s own dash-cam presented at the trial supported the prosecution’s case, leading to a guilty verdict.
The accident occurred on July 25, 2025, when Clarke-Irons, 85, looked left while making a right turn into a Tesco petrol station, and collided with a woman who had begun to cross the road. He asserted that he hit the brakes as soon as he saw the pedestrian. Nevertheless, his car bonnet struck her, knocking her to the ground. In a victim impact statement, she described the psychological effects of the accident and claimed that she had lost her job as a chef as a result of extended sick leave. The court was informed that the defendant, who had been driving for 68 years, had a clean licence and no previous convictions.
Sentencing Clarke-Irons on March 19, District Judge Smith described the offence as having been caused by a momentary lapse of concentration. He imposed a fine of £400, and ordered him to pay £650 in court costs and a £150 surcharge.
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