Mum Of Accused In Fatal Accident Told To Leave Court

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BUKIT MERTAJAM: The mother of a hairdresser accused of causing a sports utility vehicle (SUV) to crash into the sea from Penang Bridge wanted to watch the first day of her son’s trial but was prevented by police as she could be a possible witness.

M. Vaitheswaran’s (pic) mother was seen in the courtroom while other cases were being heard and when her son’s case was about to be called, the court bailiff asked her to leave yesterday.

She waited outside a moment and when Vaitheswaran’s case did not begin, she went back in.

Just before his case actually began, the court bailiff asked her to step aside again, but the woman tried to say she was told that she could be inside.

The court bailiff insisted that she could not be present because the prosecution might call her in as a witness later.

The mother then waited on the ground floor, avoiding the press.

Vaitheswaran’s trial began with his counsel questioning the photographic evidence showing tyre marks left on the bridge after the accident.

The magistrate’s court was shown 85 pictures taken by prosecution witness Kpl Abdul Rashid Mohamud.

Kpl Abdul Rashid informed the court that 23 of the pictures were taken on Jan 20 at around 3am right after the accident while the remaining 62 photographs were taken during and after the search-and-rescue operation by the authorities on Jan 22 to retrieve the SUV driven by victim Moey Yun Peng, 20, as well as the post-mortem pictures.

Lawyer S. Parameswaran, representing Vaitheswaran, 21, said one of the photographs taken by Kpl Abdul Rashid showed three tyre marks that were not parallel to each other, indicating that they might not belong to the vehicles involved in the accident.

Kpl Abdul Rashid agreed that the three tyre marks might not all belong to the two vehicles involved.

During the court proceedings, Vaitheswaran seemed calm as he sat in the dock.

Sessions judge Ahzal Fariz Ahmad Khairuddin, sitting as the magistrate, set the next trial dates on Nov 20 to 21 and Dec 3 upon the request by Deputy Public Prosecutor Nur Afiqah Zakaria.

Vaitheswaran is charged with reckless and dangerous driving under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for causing Moey’s death at the 4th kilometre of the mainland-bound side of the bridge at about 3am on Jan 20.

The SUV driven by Moey plunged into the sea after colliding with another vehicle.

It took rescuers two days to lift Moey’s SUV out of the depths and recover his body.

If convicted, Vaitheswaran faces a jail term of no less than two years and up to 10 years, and a fine of no less than RM5,000 and up to RM20,000, or both.

His driving licence has been suspended until the case is over.- Star

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