Yesterday week the " Grey Car " case, which was
tried before Mr. Justice Ridley at the Central Criminal Court, ended in the acquittal of the accused on the charge of man- slaughter. The facts, which were not in dispute, showed that Miss Chillingwortb, a middle-aged lady, was knocked down and killed by a car driven at a high speed by the accused while she was crossing the road just over Hammersmith Bridge at about 8.30 p.m. on December 7th ; that the prisoner, who had taken five friends out for a " joy ride" after supper without the knowledge of his employer, never stopped after the accident; that the lamps went out after the accident and were relit after the car bad gone two or three miles. In summing up the judge impressed on the jury that the prisoner was not to be convicted unless they thought he had been guilty of careless- ness which constituted manslaughter. But when they returned a verdict of "not guilty," he remarked, "It is your verdict, not mine, gentlemen." That, we take it, represents the feelings of the great majority of readers at an acquittal which, leaving carelessness out of the question, can only encourage dishonesty and inhumanity.
Previous page
