Man accused of killing dad-of-two

10:13am Wednesday 15th October 2008

A MAN has appeared in court accused of killing a father-oftwo in a horror road smash at the weekend.

Anthony Whittaker is accused of causing the death of 26-year-old Bryan Hardwick by dangerous driving.

Mr Whittaker, 26, of Cheesmond Avenue, Bishop Auckland, appeared at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court, in County Durham, yesterday.

He is accused of driving a white Rover car that left the A688, in Bishop Auckland, and collided with a group of pedestrians on Saturday afternoon.

Mr Hardwick, of Proudfoot Drive, Bishop Auckland, had been collecting conkers with his daughter Brogan, three, and son Liam, two, and several friends earlier in the day.

The group were crossing the road near South Church Enterprise Park on their way home when the tragic accident occurred just after 4pm.

The Rover hit Mr Hardwick, friend David Weatherburn, 40, and Liam’s pushchair before careering into a ditch.

The toddler suffered head injuries and was airlifted to The James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, where he underwent a blood transfusion.

Police yesterday described his condition as serious but stable. Grandmother Gillian Sanderson, mother of Mr Hardwick’s fiancee Kayleigh, last night said Liam was recovering well.

When he woke on Monday night, for the first time since the accident, the first thing he asked for was his new kitten Felix. She said he was being moved from the intensive care unit to a children’s ward last night and that the family is hopeful he will be well enough to return home by the end of the week.

Mr Weatherburn and two male passengers, aged 14 and 22, who had to be cut from the wreckage of the vehicle by firefighters, remain in a critical condition.

Mr Whittaker faces two charges of driving while disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence – on the A688 and Greenfields Road, in Bishop Auckland.

It is also alleged that he stole three cases of lager worth £54 from the town’s Asda supermarket shortly before the collision.

No pleas were entered during the brief hearing yesterday and the case was committed to Durham Crown Court on Wednesday, October 23, at 10am. Mr Whittaker was remanded in custody until his next court appearance.