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Courtney Goodwin-Diliberto, 24, is on trial at Oxford Crown Court accused of causing the death of her boyfriend, Ben Ireson, after allegedly causing him to overtake her on his motorcycle after braking in front of him.
The incident took place at the junction of Frax Close and Faringdon Road in Kingston Bagpuize in the early hours of the morning on April 28, 2022.
Goodwin-Diliberto, of Aldiss Drive, Kingston Bagpuize, has denied the offence – telling police that Mr Ireson had being going ‘too fast’ and the lorry driver has been an ‘idiot’.
READ MORE: “He was just going too fast,” said woman accused of causing fatal crash
She is now on trial charged of one count of causing death by dangerous driving and one alternative charge of causing death by careless driving when over the prescribed limit for cannabis.
The trial was drawing to a close on Friday morning (March 7) when Judge Hassan Khan, who was presiding over the case, gave the jury member legal directions before the prosecution and defence gave their closing statements.
He said: “Use your common sense. It shouldn’t be an overall technical test. It’s a matter for you to decide, after hearing all the evidence and applying the law, if the defendant have contributed to the death of Ben Ireson in more than a trivial way.”
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During the trial, it was heard that the defendant had been driving a white Ford Focus while Mr Ireson, who was 26 at the time, had been riding his Yahama motorbike.
It is alleged that the defendant had braked ‘suddenly’ causing Mr Ireson, formerly of Bow Bank, Longworth, to overtake and collide head-on with a Royal Mail lorry.
However, Goodwin-Diliberto’s case is that Mr Ireson had already completed the overtake and was in front of her when he collided with the lorry at it’s wheels had been ‘over’ the white line.
She told police: “If they went over the middle Mr Ireson would have been fine, if anything he’s [the lorry driver] to blame because he was in the f****** way.”
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Goodwin-Diliberto has admitted to being over the drug-driving limit at the offence, having consumed cannabis.
Giving legal directions, Judge Khan said: “She accepts she was the prescribed limit for cannabis, however she said she was not driving dangerously or carelessly.
“When she entered Kingston Bagpuize, she said she slowed down and it was further reduced when she approached the corner.”
It is unknown how long the jury will be retired for to consider their verdicts.
