Hotel owner only realised he ran over bride’s mum after hearing ‘terrible noise’

Judith Wadsworth, 66, died after being hit by a Range Rover in the grounds of the Coniston Hotel driven by its owner and managing director Nicholas Bannister (Picture: PA/Ben Lack)

A hotel owner who ran over the mother of a bride-to-be on the eve of the wedding said he only realised what had happened when he heard a ‘terrible noise’ from under his car, jurors were told. 

Judith Wadsworth, 66, died after being hit by a Range Rover in the grounds of the Coniston Hotel and Spa, in North Yorkshire, driven by its owner and managing director Nicholas Bannister. 

The jury at Bradford Crown Court has heard a transcript of Bannister’s police interview a few hours after the incident on February 7, 2020, in which he said: ‘I just didn’t see her.’ 

Bannister, 64, described how he got into his car outside the hotel with the intention of driving the 300-400m to the spa complex to go for a run. 

He said the incident happened after he turned from the short road from the main entrance on to an access road through the estate. 

Bannister went on: ‘I turned right and the first I was aware was a terrible noise I heard from under my car. I assumed something had gone wrong with my car.’ 

He described how he stopped and was joined by one of his employees who had seen what happened. 

Bannister said: ‘I saw the deceased lady in the road. A lot of blood at the scene. We did what we could. I called for support from the team.’ 

He added: ‘They came, and we did what we could but, sadly, it was in vain.’ 

Nicholas Bannister arrives at Bradford Crown Court (Picture: PA)

Judith was killed the day before her daughters wedding held at his hotel (Picture: Ben Lack Photography Ltd)

Later in the interview, he said: ‘I’ve had four or five hours to reflect on the whole thing. It’s desperately sad. If you could have your time again, you would ….’ 

The jury has heard how Mrs Wadsworth was preparing for her daughter’s wedding planned for the next day and was returning from the hotel car park to the main reception when the incident happened. 

Experts have told the court how it was not possible to work out exactly where the impact took place but was in the vicinity of the walkway across the access road from the car park. 

They have worked out that the Range Rover was travelling at between 9-12mph at the time and stopped about 20m from where the collision took place. 

Bannister, of Bell Busk, near Skipton, denies causing death by driving without due care and attention. 

His trial will resume on Monday. 

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