Bonfire crash accused 'feared for his life'
A MAN accused of a hit-and-run collision at an Eleventh Night bonfire feared he would be murdered by a mob he claims attacked his car, a court heard yesterday.
Dean Nesbitt, 29, alleges he was surrounded and threatened as he tried to drive home through the Village area of south Belfast, his solicitor said.
Nesbitt, of Violet Street in the city, is charged with a number of motoring offences, including causing grievous bodily injury by dangerous driving, having no insurance, driving while disqualified and failing to stop at the scene of an accident.
Seven people, including two children, were reported to have been injured when a car struck a group of people at Coolfin Street, off the Donegall Road.
Nesbitt also faces a further set of charges, including taking a car without consent, dangerous driving, failing to stop, driving while disqualified and without insurance over a separate alleged incident at Dermott Hill Park on July 27.
As he appeared on crutches before Belfast Magistrates' Court yesterday a police constable said he could connect him with all of the offences.
Opposing bail, the officer claimed there was a major concern about the possibility of further offending.
He told the court how a woman allegedly had to jump over a wall to get out of the way of a car Nesbitt was reversing during the most recent incident.
It was claimed that releasing the accused would put pedestrians "in grave danger".
According to police it would also be difficult to find a suitable address as people from different sections of the community were said to wish him harm.
A defence solicitor claimed the circumstances surrounding the July 12 incident close to Belfast City Hospital involved Nesbitt "taking a chance" because his pregnant partner was suffering pains.
The lawyer told the court: "He would say he was surrounded by a mob who attacked the car and made a variety of threats to him."
He added that his client believed "if the crowd had managed to get him out of that car they would have murdered him".
Nesbitt felt he had no choice and claimed to have put the car into first gear and drove off as slowly as possible, a judge was told.
The accused also rejects the allegations made about the July 27 incident, his solicitor stressed.
Bail was refused due to the potential risk of further offences being committed.
Nesbitt was remanded in custody to appear again via video-link next month.
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Weather for Belfast
Sunday 27 May 2012
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