Cab death trial evidence 'flawed'

Raymond Quigley had been a taxi driver for almost 40 years

A six-day manslaughter trial has collapsed after a judge ordered a teenager accused of killing a taxi driver to be found not guilty.

Dale Paterson, 18, from Sunderland was accused of killing Raymond Quigley, 71, from Gateshead, who suffered a fatal heart attack during a struggle.

The jury was discharged on Monday after it emerged one of them had conducted his own investigation into the death.

On Tuesday Judge David Hodson said the prosecution evidence was insufficient.

Judge Hodson said expert medical evidence showed Mr Quigley, who suffered heart disease, could have died at any time and it was not proved his struggle was the direct cause of his death.

Mr Quigley, a taxi driver for nearly 40 years, died in the early hours of 2 September last year.

Mr Patterson, of Manilla Street, Sunderland, was accused of trying to flee Mr Quigley's taxi without paying his fare, resulting in a violent struggle.

But on Tuesday, Judge Hodson said the Crown's case was "fatally flawed".

A judge said the evidence against Dale Patterson was flawed

He said: "I am drawn to the conclusion that the Crown cannot prove that the exertion and stress of the incident was the sole cause of the fatal arrhythmia.

"In these circumstances if I was obliged to make a ruling I would withdraw this count from the jury."

Prosecutor Toby Hedworth QC said the Crown's evidence was such that it would not be proper to ask for a retrial.

Det Ch Insp Mick Paterson, who led the inquiry into Mr Quigley's death, said afterwards: "Northumbria Police carried out a full and thorough investigation into Raymond Quigley's death.

"Following a post-mortem examination conducted by a Home Office pathologist, a file was prepared for the Crown Prosecution Service and charges were brought."

On Monday it emerged a juror had been carrying out his own investigations and had taken photographs of the death scene, taken measurements and researched theories on the internet.

He later communicated his findings to other jurors.