Driver in A470 Llanrwst double death has little memory of crash, court hears

A driver told a jury he had little recollection of a crash in which two people on a motorbike were killed.

Caernarfon Crown Court heard today Lawrence Layton Lougher, 29, was heading in the wrong direction on the A470 near Llanrwst and intended turning round.

As he turned right into a minor road the motorcycle collided with the offside of his BMW.

Stephen Probert, 56, of Colwyn Bay died at the scene in April 2015.

His partner Joanne Winder, 40, died of her injuries two days later.

Lougher, a carpenter of Longden Avenue, Attlestone, Surrey, denies two charges of causing death by careless driving.

He told the jury he and his fiancé Hannah Newton had stayed in the Betws y Coed area the previous evening and were sightseeing before heading back to Surrey via Shrewsbury.

The couple left Betws y Coed about 1pm and were heading north towards Llanrwst before deciding to turn round and head back to the village.

Lougher said he wanted to gauge their journey a “bit better” and work out the best way to drive home.

Driving along the A470 Lougher said he was aware of a black Mercedes car in front of him turning right into the lane.

“He was doing the same turn as me,” he said.

Owen Edwards, defending, asked how he had planned to carry out the manoeuvre.

Lougher said he always performed the “normal checks and procedures” of mirror, signal and manoeuvre and added he always checked his mirror more than once.

He said he was unaware of the green Kawasaki motorbike ridden by Mr Probert and his last recollection was hearing a loud motorbike engine.

Lougher told the court he was knocked out briefly in the collision and came round to see Ms Newton in tears with blood on her face.

An hour later he told a police officer he had turned on the car’s flashing indicators to warn other drivers of his intention to turn right.

But earlier witnesses said they saw no such indication from Lougher’s vehicle.

Medwyn Thomas Jones was driving a Nissan van immediately behind Lougher’s car.

He told the jury the vehicles slowed for the Mercedes who had clearly signalled a right turn.

Mr Jones said Lougher’s car was in the centre of the Llanrwst-bound lane and he assumed he was going straight on.

“What gave you that impression?” asked prosecutor Anna Pope.

“I have no recollection he indicated, he was in the middle of the lane and had not moved over to the right to suggest he intended to turn,” said Mr Jones.

He added he had been aware of the motorcycle behind him and when he saw the bike overtake him he realised there would be a collision.

“The BMW turned into the path of the bike. He would have passed by safely had he (Lougher) not turned,” Mr Jones told the jury.

He disagreed with Mr Edwards who suggested the motorcycle may have been speeding.

The trial continues.