Speeding Mercedes driver guilty over death of daughter of Ecuadorian politician

A speeding Mercedes driver has been found guilty over the death of an Ecuadorian politician’s daughter who was killed while crossing the road with her fiance.

Vanessa Sagnay de la Bastida, 28, was holding hands with partner Michael Williams as they walked home near Wandsworth Bridge in west London, the Old Bailey was told.

They dashed in different directions in their panic as Octavian Cadar, 39, drove towards them at more than double the 20mph speed limit.

Ms Sagnay, who was known as Charlotte, was hit before she reached the pavement, causing her to somersault in the air and land on a railing.

She suffered a catastrophic head injury and died at the scene around 13 minutes later, despite the efforts of an off-duty doctor.

Cadar admitted causing death by careless driving, but claimed he was trying to avoid the couple.

Giving evidence, the defendant, from Bexley, south-east London, admitted he was wrong when he accused them of “messing around in the road”.

A jury deliberated for 42 minutes on Monday to find him guilty of causing Ms Sangay’s death by dangerous driving, which now carries a maximum life sentence.

Ms Sagnay’s mother held hands with Mr Williams in court and they breathed a collective sigh of relief as the unanimous verdict was delivered.

Judge Anuja Dhir KC granted the defendant continued bail until he is sentenced on a date to be confirmed.

She told the victim’s tearful family that she had no words to make up for the pain the tragedy had caused them.

Ms Sagnay and Mr Williams, who had known each other since school in Scotland, were on their way home from a trip to the gym.

Mr Williams said they had been holding hands as they began to cross Bridgend Road, having checked it was clear at the pedestrian crossing.

He told jurors: “We got halfway across the road when I heard a loud revving sound of a car accelerating and backfiring.

“The car was coming toward me startlingly fast. I think it was in the centre lane.

“At first I froze. I was so confused. And then I took a couple of steps forward to get towards the central reservation.”

Mr Williams broke down as he described the moment he realised that his fiancee was not with him, saying: “I was not holding her hand any more.”

Ms Sagnay had run back the way they had come and got as far as the bus lane when she was hit on the left-hand side by the Mercedes.

He said: “She fell on the front of the car. She went onto a street sign. There was a loud bang. I screamed and I crossed the street. I tried to call the ambulance.

“I was on the phone to the emergency services and that is when the driver of the car came out.

“He was shouting. He was angry and he was saying ‘why did you freeze? Why didn’t you keep walking?’

“I said to him ‘because we were terrified’.”

Ms Sagnay’s mother became distraught at learning Cadar had tried to move her daughter as she lay mortally injured.

Mr Williams said: “I told him to not touch her. She obviously had some injuries. I didn’t want him making it worse. He was shouting.

“There were suddenly lots of people there and one woman said she was a doctor. She started doing CPR, chest compressions. I could hear the driver talking to people while this was going on.

“I was sat on the pavement. The paramedics around her at one point they turned round to me, trying to find out where I was. I knew then. They told me she had died.”

Afterwards, Cadar initially blamed the victims, saying Mr Williams had stopped on the road, waved his hands and was pulling Ms Sagnay backwards and forwards.

Giving evidence, he said: “As I was approaching the pedestrian crossing, I saw (the couple). I was focusing on the green light. They stopped crossing and I turned to the left to try to avoid them.

“I thought the best decision was to avoid them rather than slamming on the brakes.”

He told jurors: “I had tried to blame them but I was wrong.

“I was in shock during the interview. I said Mr Williams stopped and waved his hands about.”

A forensic expert concluded Cadar was doing 48mph just before impact in the 20mph zone.

If the defendant had been driving at 30mph, the couple would have been able to complete their crossing to the traffic island, jurors were told.