A motorist has been acquitted of causing the death of a delivery driver in an alleged race on a busy Swansea road.
Charles Ho suffered catastrophic injuries when his car slammed into a BMW on the outskirts of the city centre as he returned from delivering a takeaway. Despite the best efforts of witnesses who provided fist aid, firefighters, and paramedics the 27-year-old died at the scene.
Romans Jakusenoks - who was not directly involved in the crash - was accused of causing the death of Mr Ho by dangerous driving. The 33-year-old was found not guilty following a trial at Swansea Crown Court. He was also acquitted of a charge of dangerous driving.
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The court heard Mr Ho died on the night of October 10, 2019, as he was retuning to Swansea in his MG ZR car having delivered takeaway food to an address in Clydach. It was the prosecution case that at some point on A4068 Ffordd Cwm Tawe dual carriageway near Plasmarl he became involved in racing-type behaviour with the defendant who was at the wheel of his Toyota Celica.
The pair drove at speed and in close proximity past the Swansea City stadium before turning left and going past the Landore park and ride car park. At the White Rock roundabout on the east bank of the River Tawe both cars turned right and headed along Foxhole Road and Pentreguinea Road. Moments later Mr Ho lost control of his car near the Windmill Terrace junction, clipped the nearside kerb, and span across the road into the path of an oncoming BMW.
The resulting crash caused extensive damage to both vehicles - the driver of the Beamer walked away without serious injury but Mr Ho suffered fatal injuries. There was no evidence either in the form of witnesses or CCTV coverage to show how either the defendant or Mr Ho had been driving on Foxhole Road and Pentreguinea Road prior to the crash.
Romans Jakusenoks, of Gors Avenue, Mayhill, Swansea, denied he had been driving dangerously, saying he had been returning home from the Asda supermarket in Morriston when a car with very bright lights started driving very closely behind him before overtaking. He accepted he had been driving above the speed limit at times on the dual carriageway but denied racing with the other car. The defendant was acquitted of a charge of causing death by dangerous driving, and of a charge of dangerous driving following a week-long trial.
The court heard that following the crash Mr Ho's MG was found to have a number of modifications including non-standard rear suspension spring, air intake, and exhaust system, and a had small rally-style steering wheel which was not fitted with a airbag. He was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision.
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