E-petition ‘Justice plea’ on David Bartholomew fatal road crash (From Dorset Echo)

E-petition ‘Justice plea’ on David Bartholomew fatal road crash

2:30pm Wednesday 13th March 2013 in News By James Tourgout

AN e-petition has been launched calling on the CPS to re-consider charges in the David Bartholomew fatal road crash.

The motorcyclist was involved in a horror collision with a Peugeot 206, being driven by a Dorset Police special constable, on the A31 Ferndown bypass on March 20 last year.

An inquest heard that Collette Carpenter was talking on her mobile phone, which was positioned on her lap, when the collision happened.

Dorset Police submitted details of the case to the Crown Prosecution Service but Miss Carpenter was not prosecuted because the CPS said there was ‘insufficient evidence’.

Now an e-petition has been created asking Keir Starmer, head of the CPS, to re-examine the case and bring charges against Miss Carpenter, who has since resigned from the force.

It reads: “We petition that the CPS re-examines the case of the death of David Bartholomew, killed in a road traffic collision on the A31 junction with Uddens Drive, near Stapehill, Dorset, March 20 2012.

“We believe that the case warrants charges being laid before the court and the evidence being thoroughly tested.”

A Facebook page ‘Justice for David Bartholomew’ has received 5,300 likes from people up and down the country.

Both the Facebook campaign and the e-petition was created by Gary Medland, supported by David’s children James and Charli.

He is calling on people to give their support to the e-petition.

Gary said: “No one is out for this young lady’s blood, it’s purely down to the fact that people believe there is a case to answer and she wasn’t even taken to court.

“The CPS decided there was not enough evidence but the investigating officer told the inquest her using the mobile phone contributed to the accident.”

Dorset’s Police and Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill has called for a meeting with the CPS to discuss the issue.

Christchurch MP Chris Chope has also said he would write to the Attorney General about the case.