PETTS WOOD: 'Party atmosphere' in Mini before fatal crash (From News Shopper)

PETTS WOOD: 'Party atmosphere' in Mini before fatal crash

5:58pm Monday 7th September 2009 in News By Robert Fisk

A LATE night car journey from a petrol station was like a party in the moments before the fatal crash in Petts Wood which killed the driver, a court heard today.

Six passengers were crammed into Lee Waite’s Mini Cooper when it swerved off Southborough Lane and crashed into a tree before hitting a wall and Mr Waite died at the scene.

One of his front seat passengers, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is accused of grabbing the steering wheel just before the collision.

The 17-year-old, who denies manslaughter, watched from the dock as two of the other passengers gave evidence at the Old Bailey (September 7).

In a police interview which was shown to the court one of the backseat passengers said they had all been drinking at The Chequers pub in Southborough Lane.

They had walked back to a nearby friend’s house but had driven to a petrol station near Ravens Wood School to get cigarettes and alcohol.

She said she did not think Mr Waite should have been driving.

The witness, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: “[In the car] everyone was talking and laughing.

“I just remember everyone being happy and loud.

“He was driving fine up until that point.”

In the interview she says she saw the speedometer being at around 70 miles an hour before they overtook a red vehicle near Southborough Lane Primary School.

She added: “I do not know if she [the defendant] grabbed the wheel but I remember seeing her hand go out.

“I do not know if she pulled it but I remember she grabbed it.

“As she grabbed it I think she was laughing but I’m not sure.”

Front seat passenger Richard Rutter told the court the defendant was sitting on his lap at the time of the crash.

The 20-year-old said he had only had two or three pints that evening and Lee Waite had drunk less than him, the court heard.

He said: “He must have been doing about 30 or 40 and he was driving in a straight line so I was not paying attention to his driving.

“[The defendant] sat up and pulled the steering wheel.

“She pulled it right down and I remember Lee shouting.”

But Christopher Whitehouse, defending, accused Mr Rutter of playing down the party atmosphere in the car.

Mr Whitehouse said: “I would suggest in that car it was somewhat chaotic.

“There were people shouting, people laughing and the music was very loud indeed.

“There was a party atmosphere in the car and you were all laughing and joking.”

He says the defendant was not grabbing the steering wheel but was trying to point out the location of the house they were going back to with their petrol station purchases.

“She was gesturing with her right hand extending out to the right, that is what happened immediately before the crash.”