Latest update April 17th, 2024 12:59 AM
Dec 19, 2018 News
Keith Hollingsworth who was convicted over a month ago on a charge of causing death by dangerous driving was recently granted bail to the tune of $400,000 pending the hearing of an appeal.
It was on October 29, that Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman found Hollingsworth, 47, guilty of the crime.
Hollingsworth, a father of eight, of Lot 88 Blueberry Hill, Wismar, Linden, was sentenced to serve a term of imprisonment of four years and six months. He subsequently appealed the conviction and sentencing.
On August 21, 2017 at Diamond, East Bank Demerara, Hollingsworth drove motorcar PJJ 8918 in a manner dangerous to the public causing the death of Samsoonisha Batulan. The convict had been charged jointly with truck driver Ron Walker who was found not guilty by the said Magistrate.
On the day in question at around 09:00hrs, Hollingsworth was proceeding in front of Walker’s vehicle, a sand truck, along the western carriageway of the road. During that time, Batulan had just disembarked motor vehicle, PRR 7589, in the vicinity of the Diamond Diagnostic Centre.
As that vehicle moved off, Hollingsworth overtook the sand truck which slammed into the vehicle the woman had exited causing it to swerve and hit her. The woman was picked up and rushed to the above mentioned hospital where she was pronounced dead.
The cause of death was given as multiple injuries consistent with a vehicle accident including blunt force trauma. Delivering her ruling, Magistrate Latchman had noted that based on the evidence, Hollingsworth overtook the truck Walker was driving without any regard for it being laden with sand.
The Magistrate had said that Hollingsworth’s driving forced Walker to swerve, causing him to collide with the car the woman had just exited and was standing behind. According to Magistrate Latchman, Walker was caught between a “rock and a hard place.”
In passing sentence, Magistrate Latchman told Hollingsworth that he disregarded the five Cs in driving– care, courtesy, consideration, caution and commonsense.
After considering the fact that a life was lost, the need to preserve human resources, the fact that other vehicles were involved and Hollingsworth endangered the lives of other road users, Magistrate Latchman imposed the custodial sentence, stressing that Hollingsworth drove away after the accident, and had to be stopped by police at a road block.
During a plea in mitigation, Attorney-at-Law Tiffany Jeffrey asked the court to temper justice with mercy. She highlighted that Hollingsworth has been a driver for decades, and was never involved in any accident of this magnitude. The lawyer added that her client has eight children and has no antecedents.
Both Hollingsworth and Walker had been ordered to post $200,000 bail by the Magistrates’ Courts pending the hearing and determination of the matter.
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