A HOTEL owner who ran over a wedding guest in his Range Rover said they tried “in vain” to help the woman.

Nicholas Bannister, 64, of Bell Busk, is on trial at Bradford Crown Court accused of causing death by careless driving on February 7, 2020.

The 64-year-old denies the offence.

He struck 66-year-old Baildon grandmother, Judith Wadsworth, on a pedestrian walkway at 5.21pm as she returned to the reception of Coniston Hotel and Spa, at Coniston Cold where her daughter, Rebecca Blacker, and maid-of-honour were.

The party had arrived just an hour before Mrs Wadworth’s death, with her daughter’s wedding scheduled for the next day, and she had been taking items to and from her car to the hotel.

The court heard a transcript of Bannister’s police interview in court today, which took place at 1.32am on February 8 – eight hours after the tragedy.

An initial statement from the 64-year-old was read out to him in the interview and he confirmed it was accurate.

He said in that: “From my standpoint, I turned the corner looked one way looked the other and didn’t see the lady sadly, I just didn’t see her.”

Bannister had left his office at 5pm, having just taken a call from his son – Rodrick – who was coming from London to Skipton and was going to get a taxi from the station, the court heard.

His plan was to go to the gym for a run and wished his staff a good weekend as he went outside the hotel reception to head towards the spa area of the complex.

Just 21 minutes after leaving his office and moments after exiting the hotel, he had hit Mrs Wadsworth and run over the top of her.

Craven Herald: A map of Coniston Hotel and Spa with key locations pointed outA map of Coniston Hotel and Spa with key locations pointed out (Image: Google Maps)

He had been making a right turn at a t-junction to get onto the hotel’s access road, where there was a walkway for hotel guests just five feet away, which Bannister considered to be “not a formal pedestrian crossing” but an area of different paving to get across, according to his interview.

The court has heard from experts that they believe Mrs Wadsworth was hit by the front of the Range Rover, fell down and was then dragged under it.

Bannister only came to a stop 20 metres after the point of impact on the walkway.

He said in that police interview: “The first I was aware was a terrible noise under the car, I assumed something had gone wrong with the car."

Bannister got out of his vehicle next to an employee’s car – key eyewitness Natasha Hobson-Shaw – and saw Mrs Wadsworth in the road, the court heard.

He said: "There was a lot of blood at the scene, we did what we could."

He added: "We did what we could, sadly in vain."

He was asked at the end of the police interview whether he wanted to add anything further.

Bannister said: "No I don't want to go over, I've had four or five hours to reflect on the whole thing and it's desperately sad, you know, if you could have your time again, you'd..."

The trial continues.