Court clears Grandmother over DIY speed bump damage to passing car

Andrea Wilkinson, 51, a grandmother from Bolton, fashioned a "speed bump" from rocks by the side of her cottage. Two days later a speeding vehicle hit the rocks and the owner of the vehicle subsequently launched a claim for damages.

The incident happened on February 16th, 2021. At the later court appearance, the judge heard that Mrs Wilkinson acted after a speeding incident upset her.

Ms Amy Leadbeater, 25, drove over the stones in her Audi sports car at, seemingly, 25mph. She stated the rocks damaged both the turbocharger and the wheels of her vehicle. She latterly claimed the damage totalled £1,200.00

The grandmother apologized during the hearing and explained how she "overindulged" one evening and made the decision to act. She claimed that the rocks were incapable of causing any damage to passing vehicles.

Mrs. Wilkinson pleaded guilty to the criminal damage charge but later changed her plea after Ms. Leadbeater was accused of exaggerating the damage.

At trial, a local farmer who witnessed the incident insisted that, "she had not run over the stones at all." Claiming Ms. Leadbeater was "over exaggerating."

Adam Hinchcliff, a vehicle engineer, who was called as an expert witness commented that the "brick-sized stones, could not have made contact with the turbo."

Although it had already been accepted that Mrs. Wilkinson had made the speed bump, the court cleared her of damaging Ms. Leadbeater's sports car.