Bedford cocaine hit-and-run death driver guilty

An uninsured driver who fled after killing a pedestrian has been found guilty of causing death by careless driving while unfit through drugs.

Carl Lawrence, 38, thought he hit a dog when his car struck William Corrigan, also 38, on Charnwood Avenue, Bedford, at about 14:05 BST on 28 February.

He had tested positive for cocaine before and after the crash.

Lawrence, of Bury Court, Church Lane, Bedford, will be sentenced at Luton Crown Court on 12 October.

He had pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving, but was convicted by a jury of the more serious charge of causing death by careless driving while unfit through drugs.

The court heard Lawrence tested positive for cocaine at The Path to Recovery Centre in Bedford, 10 minutes prior to the accident.

He was driving his former partner's Vauxhall Meriva without her permission when he struck Mr Corrigan, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Lawrence later returned to the crash scene before driving to a nearby road where he was seen buying drugs, the court was told.

A taxi driver then followed the car, took a picture of its number plate and showed it to police and Lawrence was arrested at his ex-partner's house nearly two hours after the crash.

He told the police: "I think I hit someone. I thought it was a dog. I was about to call and hand myself in."

Lawrence told the court he failed to stop at the scene because he had no licence or insurance and claimed his positive cocaine test at the police station was because he had taken drugs after the collision.

Mr Corrigan's widow, Suzanna Hedges, said: "While today's verdict gives us some relief that justice has been served, we remain angry and sad that we have lost a great man, a loving husband and father."