THE FAMILY of a motorcyclist killed in a west Oxfordshire crash were said to be ‘utterly devastated’ after prosecutors dropped the charges against the woman accused of causing the collision.

Gail Savage, 55, was alleged to have caused the death of motorcyclist Martin Malins, 50, by driving her Mercedes carelessly on the B4437, near Shipton-under-Wychwood, on August 3 last year.

She denied the charge and her lawyers were preparing arguments that the allegation should be dismissed.

However, at a hearing at Oxford Crown Court on Friday morning, prosecutor Jonathan Sank said the Crown would be offering no evidence in light of new expert reports about the crash.

Mr Sank told the hearing, which several members of the victim’s family were watching via video link: “Mr Malins, of course, lost his life in the collision which gave rise to this offence.

“His family wish me to express their utter devastation at this change [and] their dismay at how an expert can reach his initial findings when the evidential position is as it is now.”

Judge Ian Pringle QC responded: “I fully understand the family’s views in relation to this matter but it is at least, I suppose, something that an expert can change his mind [before a trial] rather than change his mind when he gets to the witness box.

“These sorts of cases produce feelings of such high emotion it is very difficult to approach them rationally for those who have lost someone so dear to them.”

Earlier, the court was given further detail about the reasons for the prosecution being dropped.

Mr Sank explained that Savage’s lawyers had applied earlier this month to dismiss the charges against their client.

On October 11, the Crown Prosecution Service sent a letter to the defendants’ lawyers confirming they would not oppose the application to dismiss the charge of causing death by careless driving.

“This is due to the significant change in the evidence following the instruction of an expert witness, Robert Seston. He and the first expert, Luke Webb, prepared a joint report. Mr Webb’s conclusions are now very different to his initial ones,” the prosecutor said.

“There is consequently no longer a realistic prospect of conviction and we are therefore required to bring proceedings to a halt.

“I invite your honour to quash the count on the indictment such that the criminal proceedings will be brought to an end.”

No detail was given to the court about the disputed issues in the case or what the experts' reports were about.

Savage, of Main Street, Over Norton, was not present in person at the court hearing on Friday morning. She was represented by Michael Rawlinson.

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