Sex offender loses damages

A sex offender who won £100,000 after claiming that a car crash led to him abusing a teenage boy has lost out on the damages.

The financial pay-out to Richard Dixon has now been set aside and a new hearing of evidence will take place.

The former bus driver originally sued for £150,000 after he was involved in a fatal crash involving a Dutch tourist near Stranraer in July 1995.

Dixon, 47, from Ballymena, County Antrim, raised an action at the Court of Session in Edinburgh against Adrianus van der Wetering.

He blamed a personality change brought on by the accident for his conviction in 1996 for a sex offence against a 14-year-old boy.

Lost earnings

Evidence was due to be heard in February when lawyers told the judge that the case had been settled.

A substantial part of £100,000 agreed settlement was understood to cover lost earnings because of his inability to work.

But it subsequently emerged that Mr Dixon was involved in a road accident when he was driving a car for a limousine firm days before the court settlement was announced.

The former ambulance driver was returning to Northern Ireland from a Tall Ships event in Edinburgh when Mr van der Wetering's car drove straight into his path.

Three members of a family from Yorkshire were killed.

Following the agreed settlement lawyers acting for Mr Dixon asked the court to decree that the money should be paid out to him.

But the motorist's insurers indicated that they were now reluctant to adhere to the terms of the settlement because of new information that had emerged about his employment record which showed that he had been apparently working.

The settlement was put on hold and Lord Bonomy ruled that a further hearing should take place.

On Friday, Gerry Moynihan QC, for the motorist, told the court: "What the parties are agreeing is that the previous settlement should be set aside by private arrangement."

Lord Bonomy agreed to a new hearing of evidence in the case which will take place at a future date, yet to be fixed.