PETTS WOOD: Girl not guilty of killing friend in Mini crash (From News Shopper)

PETTS WOOD: Girl not guilty of killing friend in Mini crash

12:21pm Friday 11th September 2009 in News By Robert Fisk

A TEENAGE defendant cried out in relief as a jury took less than an hour to find her not guilty of causing a fatal car crash in Petts Wood.

The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was travelling in a Mini Cooper when it swerved and hit a tree before crashing into a wall in Southborough Lane.

She was sitting on the lap of another passenger on the car’s front passenger seat at the time of the collision.

The car driver, 21-year-old Lee Waite, died at the scene in the early hours of February 10 last year.

Mr Waite, of Narrow Way, Bromley Common, had been driving six of his friends back from a petrol station after buying cigarettes and alcohol when the crash happened.

In a week-long trial at the Old Bailey the prosecution alleged the defendant had grabbed the wheel and caused the Mini to swerve off the road.

But the jury of six men and six women found this not to be true.

Seven security officers guarded the public gallery to prevent any problems between Mr Waite’s family and friends and the defendant’s supporters when the verdict was read out.