CHINGFORD: Sadness but 'some closure' at death-drive court verdict (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

CHINGFORD: Sadness but 'some closure' at death-drive court verdict

1:30pm Tuesday 7th February 2012 in News By Daniel Binns

THE partner of a woman who died after a car appeared to hit her on a zebra crossing has expressed disappointment at a court verdict clearing the driver - but said the trial's end had provided some closure.

Rosalie Barnard, 66, was walking across Station Road, Chingford, during a shopping trip back in June 2010 when a vehicle rolled up to her at low speed.

She fell awkwardly and died of her injuries five days later.

On Friday (February 3) the motorist, 47-year-old Kevin Camp of Ibbetson Path in Loughton, was found not guilty of causing death by careless driving following a trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court.

Mr Camp admitted losing control for a "split second" but denied being careless. The court heard witnesses could not be sure whether his car actually made contact because it stopped just as she fell.

Mrs Barnard's devastated long-term partner Kwame Ofori, who had lived with her at their home in Tiptree Close, Chingford, since the early 1980s, said he had mixed emotions following the conclusion of the trial.

He told the Guardian: "I'm a bit disappointed but I'm also relieved that the whole thing is over and we can now leave Rosalie to rest in peace.

"We were hoping for some clarification on what happened during the trial but I don't think we got it. There were not enough witnesses and there are still unanswered questions. I hope one day we may find an understanding what happened.

"But it is the end of the legal process. It has been hanging over us and now it's finished that gives some closure."

Mrs Barnard, a mother-of-two and grandmother, was a popular and much-loved member of the community who worked across the borough including at Highams Park Library and the Oxfam shop in Chingford before her retirement.

Mr Ofori, 68, said messages from the people of Chingford had helped him in his grief.

He said: "I'm really grateful for the support I have received from both our friends and the wider community, which still continues. I also want to thank the police for the efforts they made."

He added: "Rosalie will always be with me. The community and our lives are a poorer place without her but now she can rest in peace."

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