Cardiff car chase death: woman denies dangerous driving that killed rival
Melissa Pesticcio, 23, is on trial at Cardiff Crown Court for allegedly pursuing Sophie Taylor, 22, in a fatal three-mile car chase in August 2016.
Cardiff Crown Court hears ex-girlfriend chased rival to her death in Adamsdown
A 23-year-old woman is standing trial at Cardiff Crown Court accused of pursuing her former boyfriend's ex-partner in a car chase that ended in a fatal crash, bbc.com reports.
Sophie Taylor, 22, died in August 2016 after her car struck a block of flats in Adamsdown, Cardiff, following a three-mile pursuit through the city. A male friend travelling with her sustained what prosecutors described as "life-changing injuries".
Melissa Pesticcio, of Llanrumney, denies causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, and two further charges of dangerous driving. Her co-accused, Michael Wheeler, has already pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury.
Prosecutor Matthew Cobbe told the jury on Wednesday that both Pesticcio and Wheeler had previously been in a relationship with Miss Taylor, and that a "period of hostility" had developed between the two women as a result.
According to Cobbe, Pesticcio and Wheeler ended their relationship in July last year after Wheeler began seeing Miss Taylor. Miss Taylor subsequently took out a loan of £6,500 to purchase an off-road motorbike for Wheeler, but the couple split shortly afterwards and she sought repayment of the money — a dispute that generated "angry exchanges" between the parties.
On the night of the crash, Miss Taylor and a male friend travelled to Wheeler's home to demand the money back, but he refused. The confrontation escalated into the car chase that proved fatal.
Cobbe told the court it was Wheeler's Vauxhall Corsa that directly collided with Miss Taylor's black BMW 1 Series, causing the fatal impact. However, he argued Pesticcio bore significant responsibility, having taken "a main role in the protracted pursuit" by deliberately driving her white BMW dangerously at Miss Taylor during the chase.
Miss Taylor's family described her as a "beautiful princess".
The trial continues.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)