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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Pc guilty of girl's crash death | Pc guilty of girl's crash death |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| A police officer has been found guilty of causing the death of a 16-year-old schoolgirl by dangerous driving. | A police officer has been found guilty of causing the death of a 16-year-old schoolgirl by dangerous driving. |
| Pc John Dougal, 41, had accelerated to 94mph (151km/h) in a 30mph zone before he hit Hayley Adamson in Newcastle in May, the city's crown court heard. | Pc John Dougal, 41, had accelerated to 94mph (151km/h) in a 30mph zone before he hit Hayley Adamson in Newcastle in May, the city's crown court heard. |
| A police driving expert told the court that the patrol officer's speed was unjustified, but Dougal had claimed he had been driving safely. | A police driving expert told the court that the patrol officer's speed was unjustified, but Dougal had claimed he had been driving safely. |
| The car's siren and lights had not been activated at the time, the jury heard. | The car's siren and lights had not been activated at the time, the jury heard. |
| Following the conviction, Judge David Hodson said a prison sentence was inevitable. | Following the conviction, Judge David Hodson said a prison sentence was inevitable. |
| The crash happened on Denton Road in Scotswood on 19 May. | The crash happened on Denton Road in Scotswood on 19 May. |
| In-car footage | In-car footage |
| The court was told that Dougal was reacting to the Volvo's automatic number plate recognition system, which alerted him to a passing car - indicating it could potentially be linked to a crime. | The court was told that Dougal was reacting to the Volvo's automatic number plate recognition system, which alerted him to a passing car - indicating it could potentially be linked to a crime. |
| He accelerated to catch up with the Renault Megane and struck Hayley when she stepped into the road. | He accelerated to catch up with the Renault Megane and struck Hayley when she stepped into the road. |
| Dougal said he had not wanted to alert the other driver to his presence by putting on his sirens or blue lights. | |
| Pc John Dougal is a qualified advanced driver | Pc John Dougal is a qualified advanced driver |
| But the number plate recognition data was later found to be out of date - the Megane was being lawfully driven by a Czech national. | |
| At the time of the crash, the qualified advanced driver was travelling so fast he had effectively become a passenger in his own car and had surrendered "to physics", an expert witness told the jury. | At the time of the crash, the qualified advanced driver was travelling so fast he had effectively become a passenger in his own car and had surrendered "to physics", an expert witness told the jury. |
| Retired police inspector and police driving standards expert Gordon Robertson said he "could not imagine" a situation where Dougal should have accelerated to more than 90mph, without activating his blue lights or siren. | Retired police inspector and police driving standards expert Gordon Robertson said he "could not imagine" a situation where Dougal should have accelerated to more than 90mph, without activating his blue lights or siren. |
| The court was shown footage from the in-car video camera, including the moment the teenager was hit by the car and flung out of shot. | The court was shown footage from the in-car video camera, including the moment the teenager was hit by the car and flung out of shot. |
| Judge David Hodson said: "You will be remanded in custody and you must appreciate that the inevitable outcome of a conviction of an offence of this nature is an immediate sentence of custody." | Judge David Hodson said: "You will be remanded in custody and you must appreciate that the inevitable outcome of a conviction of an offence of this nature is an immediate sentence of custody." |
| Hundreds of mourners turned out for Hayley Adamson's funeral | |
| He added: "I am sure everybody who has sat through this case will be acutely conscious of the grief there has been to the Adamson family." | He added: "I am sure everybody who has sat through this case will be acutely conscious of the grief there has been to the Adamson family." |
| The jury of eight women and four men took an hour and a half to reach its unanimous verdict. | |
| Dougal was remanded in custody to be sentenced on 1 May. | Dougal was remanded in custody to be sentenced on 1 May. |
| Hayley was due to sit the first of her GCSE exams, in English, the day after she was killed. | |
| Her friends began a fundraising campaign to pay for a memorial and launched a "Justice for Hayley" fund. | |
| A youth club was opened last month in her memory. | |
| Speaking shortly after the crash, her family said in a statement: "We are absolutely devastated by Hayley's death and are struggling to come to terms with everything that has happened. | |
| "Our beautiful daughter filled people's lives with love, fun and laughter. We cannot believe she has been taken from us in such terrible circumstances." |