Holly Willoughby guilty of breaking biker’s neck in car crash

The ITV star, and former This Morning and Dancing on Ice host, Holly Willoughby, has pleaded guilty to driving without attention and due care this week, following a crash that left a biker with a broken neck.

The incident happened on August 28, when Willoughby was driving her Mini Cooper in the area of Richmond, southwest London. The rider of the scooter is reported to have been overtaking the TV star, who didn’t see him and then failed to indicate before making a right turn.

The rider, who was reported to be riding a Piaggio and travelling at around 20mph, suffered a broken neck and toe as a result of the collision. According to The Times, the court was shown video footage of the crash in court, which showed the events that led up to the incident. It goes on to say that the rider of the scooter was apparently slowing for a red light before coming into contact with Willoughby’s car.

The report suggests that the prosecution called for Willoughby to be tried for a Category 1A driving offence, the most serious of this kind, although Willoughby’s lawyers argued against this. The magistrate in the case, David Charnley, ruled for a Category 1B driving offence, meaning that he thought that Willoughby bore some degree of responsibility for the crash, but was not wholly at fault for it.

Willoughby, who was said to have experienced a “momentary lapse in judgment” and was “extremely remorseful” for the incident, was handed a £1,653 fine and given six points on her licence. She was also fined £130 in costs and a £661 victim surcharge. Willoughby did not appear in court for the hearing, instead opting to enter her plea via post.

Images credit: Wiki Commons - Number 10, CC BY-SA 2.0

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