PPS drops careless driving case against DUP’s Joanne Bunting

The PPS has dropped the case against a DUP MLA accused of careless driving.

Defence counsel Richard McConkey told Newtownards Magistrates Court the PPS “were withdrawing the charges” against Joanne Bunting.

District Judge Mark Hamill formally marked the case as withdrawn.

The MLA for East Belfast and Policing Board member, Mrs Bunting (46) had faced four charges - careless driving, leaving the scene of an accident and that following an accident which caused an injury to another person, she failed to stop, remain and report her details to the police within a reasonable time, all alleged to have been committed following an incident on the Movilla Road in the town on March 3 last year.

When she was initially charged last August, defence solicitor Keith Gamble told the court that all the offences were denied and the case has been repeatedly scheduled to arrange a trial date.

Last January the court heard there were discussions between prosecution and defence which would hopefully “narrow the issues.”