The wife of a construction firm boss was taken to court for criminal damage after she installed a DIY road hump made of rocks outside her country cottage in a bid to slow down speeding motorists.
Andrea Wilkinson, 51, whose husband Ian runs a construction business, created the hump using rocks from a dry stone wall opposite her property following a public backlash over speeding traffic in the village of Edgworth, near Bolton, Greater Manchester.
But she was charged after one driver claimed she failed to spot the makeshift speed bump before driving her Audi over it, causing more than £1,200 worth of repairs.
At Burnley Magistrates Court, Wilkinson, a grandmother, initially pleaded guilty to criminal damage but then changed her plea after law firm worker Amy Leadbeater, 25, was accused of exaggerating the extent of the damage.
Wilkinson, who previously apologised for putting the rocks in the road, was found not guilty.
Andrea Wilkinson, pictured outside Burnley Magistrates Court, created a DIY road hump following public backlash over speeding traffic in the village of Edgworth, near Bolton, Greater Manchester
She created the hump in Bury Road using rocks from a dry stone wall opposite her property
The court heard that campaigners had previously called for a 20mph limit and speed bumps on a stretch of Bury Road.
But when their pleas to council highways officers fell on deaf ears, Wilkinson posted a message on a local Facebook group saying she would make a hump of her own instead, a court heard.
Two days later, Miss Leadbeater, 25, was driving her AI Sportback vehicle when she ran over the coping stones causing her to stop at the roadside.
She initially paid £44.96 to have the Audi realigned – but then paid a further £1,200 after mechanics said her turbo charger had been wrecked in the incident.
Although it was accepted Wilkinson had created the illicit road hump, she was cleared of damaging Miss Leadbeater’s vehicle after a local farmer said he witnessed the incident and insisted she had not run over the stones.
The court was told the incident happened on February 16 last year after Wilkinson grew increasingly frustrated with traffic issues, following a series a series of nearby crashes which were blamed on speeding drivers.
Law firm worker Amy Leadbeater (pictured) claimed she hit the makeshift road hump and that it caused more than £1,200 worth of repairs. However, her claims were disputed and Wilkinson was cleared
Prosecutor Graham Tindle said: ‘She put concrete stones from a wall into the road and Miss Leadbeater drove over these stones causing damage to her car.
‘The complainant went to Kwik Fit the next day and had the wheels of her Audi A1 motor vehicle realigned. That cost was £44 but in addition there was a warning light which came on in her car when she went over the bump.
‘Kwik Fit could not deal with it and she was advised to take her vehicle to Halfords who said that the turbo charger had been damaged and the complainant was given a bill of £1,200. The defendant would accept the £44 but not the £1200 damage.’
Miss Leadbeater told the court she was driving back home from her father’s house with her sister but did not see the stones on the road until her headlights lit them up.
She said she tried to take evasive action but heard a ‘big bang’ as she went over the stones and the steering wheel was jolted from her hands.
She and her sister got out of the car and warned other motorists of the danger before attempting to move the rocks out of the road, the court was told.
Wilkinson, 51, pictured with her husband Ian who runs a construction business, changed her criminal damage plea to not guilty after Miss Leadbeater was accused of exaggerating her claims
Miss Leadbeater added: [The rocks] were so heavy, me and my sister struggled to move them. There are three cottages nearby and the defendant and her partner and people with her were shouting abusive language from their window.
‘We were going to leave but then everyone came out of the house and there was a discussion for about 20-30 minutes. Most people were completely intoxicated.
‘Andrea was quite aggressive. She was apologising and then being aggressive again. At one point she admitted putting the rocks there.
‘I then went back to my car and there a yellow EPC light in my car which flashed on. I was able to move and I thought it was okay to drive. I went less than half a mile to my house where I rang the police.’
Miss Leadbeater’s sister Katie also gave evidence and said they were travelling at about 20mph when they hit the rocks.
However, local farmer Sean Paton, who was driving behind Miss Leadbeater at the time, claimed she never hit the rocks.
He told the court a red car in front of Miss Leadbeater’s appeared to hit something before Miss Leadbeater’s vehicle ‘slammed to a halt’
Miss Leadbeater said Wilkinson was being quite aggressive to her after the alleged incident but admitted putting the rocks there
‘She then got out and was shouting’, Mr Paton said.
‘I saw her moving the stones to the pavement, which were a couple of yards in front of her car. The stones were around two to three inches thick, the size of a brick but half the thickness.
‘There was someone in the window on the road shouting out of the window and Amy was shouting back.
‘She came to a stop just before the stones and she was making a big deal. I do not see why she should claim for the damage. Everyone knows everyone in the village or knows of one another.’
Vehicle engineer Adam Hinchcliff, who was called as an expert witness, said Miss Leadbeater’s car ‘required nothing more than a steering wheel adjustment’ and that the stones ‘could not have made contact with the turbo’.
The court heard Miss Leadbeater was seen driving the Audi around the village for three weeks before she took it to Halfords to have the turbo unit replaced.
Wilkinson did not give evidence at the trial but at an earlier hearing she apologised for what happened, adding: ‘I had a lot to drink that night but I have tried to resolve the issue. Three weeks after what happened, she had a brand new turbo unit fitted. It is impossible for that to be damaged like that.’
Defence lawyer Duncan Nightingale said Wilkinson admitted putting the stones in the road but disputed Miss Leadbeater’s claim that the turbo was damaged after hearing evidence from Mr Paton.
In finding Wilkinson not guilty, JP Stephen Riley said: ‘The defendant did not give evidence but she has agreed she placed the stones in the road.
‘We found Amy gave clear, forthright and factual evidence, Katie likewise.
‘But we found Mr Paton gave clear, resolute evidence and the expert witness also gave a good account of his knowledge. We cannot be sure Miss Leadbeater drove over the stones at this time.’
