Birmingham delivery driver, Matheeb Iqbal has changed his plea to guilty after his delivery van rolled across a pub car-park, onto the pavement, killing a passing pensioner.
The Lozells local had failed to apply his hand-brake properly while he was making a delivery at the Bowling Green Inn on Coventry Street, Southam, on the 30th December 2014.
The refrigerated Mercedes Sprinter van rolled backwards across the car park and onto the pavement where it collided with mother-of-two, Susan Collins.
The 65-year-old pensioner, was severely injured, and died in hospital on January 8th last year.
22-year-old Iqbal originally pleaded not guilty to the charges against him at Warwick Crown Court, but with only a few days left to the proceedings, Barrister Andrew Baker asked for the charges to be put again, as Iqbal had changed his plea to guilty.
At an earlier hearing prosecutor Simon Ward explained: “The issue is whether the handbrake was on or whether there was a mechanical defect.”
The court heard there was footage from CCTV cameras which show the events which ensued.
“He leaves the vehicle and slams the heavy fridge door at the side. After a period of 10 to 20 seconds it begins to roll away slowly, and only gains speed to six miles an hour at the moment of the tragic accident.”
After Iqbal had changed his plea, Barrister Andrew Baker said: “The plea is entered on the basis that he did not adequately pull the handbrake up, and it is therefore only partially engaged.”
Judge Andrew Lockhart QC said that whether the report concludes the handbrake was not put on or was not applied correctly is ‘unlikely to change matters dramatically.’
.
