A VIDEO made by an 11-year-old boy minutes before he and his father were killed in a hit-and-run collision was shown in the Royal Court yesterday at the opening of a trial.
The mobile phone video was made by Charlie Lowe, who died a short time later, when he and his father Dean (48) were knocked down by Dylan John Pounds on Rue de Fauvic, in Grouville.
Many people in the public gallery gasped or put their hands to their mouths as they watched the footage and heard some of Charlie’s last words.
Pounds (29) is charged with causing the deaths of Mr Lowe and his son by dangerous driving. The court heard that he had been drinking for nine hours before getting behind the wheel.
Pounds has admitted the lesser charges of causing the deaths by careless driving. He has also admitted failing to stop and report the collision.
But Crown Advocate Matthew Maletroit, prosecuting, told the Jurats that Pounds should be convicted of the more serious charges of causing death by dangerous driving because of the circumstances of the incident. He alleged that Pounds was drunk, was speeding and was using his mobile phone at the time.
Mr Lowe and Charlie were walking home along the road at around 9.40pm on 23 August last year after attending a family birthday party.
Mr Dean is seen with his hand round Charlie’s shoulders and Charlie mentions the need to be aware of dangerous driving while walking on a country road.
“Charlie and his father were conscious of the potential dangers from other road users,” the advocate said.
But he said Pounds had been in no fit state to drive in the poorly-lit area and added: “This was hit and run. He offered no assistance whatsoever to those he had just mown down.
“He left his victims dead or dying in the middle of the road.”
Advocate Maletroit said that Pounds and a friend had been drinking for around nine hours when Pounds chose to drive home in his work van.
They had started in the Union Inn on Grande Route de St Jean just after midday. Bank statements showed they had spent at least £47 there.
CCTV footage showed them drinking afterwards in the Pembroke pub in Grouville.
By coincidence the birthday event that Mr Lowe and his son were attending was taking place in the same venue – and some footage shows Mr Lowe and Charlie in the background while Pounds is at the bar buying beer.
“They wouldn’t have known that two hours later the same man would be responsible for ending their lives,” Advocate Maletroit said.
He said that Pounds and his friend next went to the Dolphin Hotel in Gorey before boarding a bus into St Helier, but Pounds got off and picked up his van to drive home.
The vehicle’s windscreen was smashed in the incident and the advocate said: “Bits of the bodywork were falling off as he went. The damage was extensive. But he carried on as if nothing had happened.”
Analysts at the scene found that the van would have been travelling at around 41mph where the speed limit is 30mph.
Pounds was also found to have deleted a number of phone calls from the log on his mobile phone, which Advocate Maletroit suggested was an attempt to hide the fact that he had been using it.
The trial is expected to conclude next week.
Deputy Bailiff Robert MacRae is presiding and Jurats Jane Ronge and Karen Le Cornu are sitting.
