Buggy driver cleared after judge heard from expert

A Center Parcs worker who was driving an electric buggy when he collided with a colleague was cleared of causing her death following evidence from a police collision expert, a judge has revealed.

Penny Bulpitt, 67, was on a bicycle when she was involved in the collision at Center Parcs Woburn Forest in Bedfordshire in September 2023.

Maintenance worker John Davies, 66, of Swift Close, Flitwick, was on trial at Luton Crown Court accused of causing death by careless driving, but halfway through, Judge Michael Simon directed jurors to find him not guilty.

The judge has outlined his reasons in a written ruling published online.

Simon had halted proceedings after prosecution lawyers outlined the evidence against Davies, who had been travelling at about 9mph (14km/h).

Lawyers for the defendant said the judge should order a not guilty verdict, and he directed the jurors on Tuesday.

The judge concluded there was "insufficient evidence" to convict Davies.

In his written ruling, Simon said he reached the not guilty conclusion after hearing evidence from prosecution collision expert PC Warren Knight.

"By the end of his evidence, PC Knight acknowledged that he could not say that all careful and competent drivers would have seen Mrs Bulpitt, at least in time to avoid a collision," said the judge.

"Rather unusually for a driving case, the jury are faced with a very brief instance of very slow driving in a type of vehicle... and in circumstances where they are hardly likely to be able to bring much of their knowledge and experience of the world to bear.

"There is every likelihood that none of them have regular (or probably any) experience either of driving for periods at 9mph or of driving the type of converted golf buggy-style vehicle involved in this case.

"As a result, they would have to be far more reliant on the expert evidence."

Police said Bulpitt died the day after the collision, which happened on 22 September.

The 67-year-old from Luton was part of the housekeeping team at the holiday park and her family has said she was "loved by everyone who knew her".

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