Grieving sisters want law change for trailers

Feb 9 2008 by Liz Keen, South Wales Echo

THREE heartbroken daughters have called for a change in the law after the driver in a crash which killed their mum walked free from a court.

Timothy Rose, 49, of Elizabeth Avenue, Barry, was yesterday found not guilty of causing the death by dangerous driving of 85-year-old Elizabeth Roberts, at the direction of a judge at Cardiff Crown Court.

Mrs Roberts, less than five feet tall and a much-loved great-grandmother, died instantly when a heavy trailer being towed by Mr Rose’s Range Rover broke free while being driven down Pentyrch Hill last March.

It hurtled out of control down the slope, smashing into a car in which she was a passenger and knocking her daughter unconscious in the back seat.

The driver went on trial accused of failing to maintain the trailer and its connections to his vehicle but denied being to blame.

The case collapsed when Judge Patrick Curran QC upheld legal submissions from defence barrister Peter Davies that Mr Rose had could not have known there was any problem and had no charge to answer.

Judge Curran said he COULD be blamed for the fact that only one of the four wheel brakes on the trailer was working but experts said that even if perfect, the brakes would have made no difference once the coupling broke.

After the case Mrs Roberts’ daughters – Jacky Llewellyn, Sylvia David and Jill Cozzolino – said in a statement: “It is time the Government, along with the Driving Standards Agency, produced procedures for possible annual tests similar to MoTs on other vehicles.

“It became evident in this trial that there are no rules regarding the maintenance of trailers or their towing mechanisms. Our mother’s needless death is hard to endure.”

Widowed Mrs Roberts had divided her time between the homes of her girls Sylvia, 53, a farmer’s wife from Wentloog, Jackie, 52, a clerical officer from Beddau, Pontypridd, who along with her husband Paul was also injured in the accident, and their eldest sister Jill in Italy.

Jill, 62, said: “Just because mother was elderly it wasn’t OK for her to pass away in such a needless, untimely way.”

Mr Rose made no comment as he left court.

liz.keen@mediawales.co.uk