Corporate lawyer in dock over tourist hit and run

Ford Shelby involved in the crash that injured two tourists, shown her in local car show

(CNS): Simon Courtney (50), a corporate layer with an offshore legal firm, appeared on a different side of the legal Bar on Wednesday, standing in the Grand Court dock as the crown opened its case against him for seriously injuring two tourists in a collision last year. The jury of three women and four men hearing the case were told that Courtney had lost control of his sports car after spending five hours at the Ritz-Carlton Champagne brunch, and then ploughed into a couple walking along the sidewalk by the Villas of the Galleon.

As she opened the prosecution’s case, crown counsel Trisha Hutchinson told the jury that Courtney was driving his Ford Mustang Shelby on 25 January 2015 in such a manner that he was responsible for inflicting grievous bodily harm on Cathy and Richard Schubert. The couple were on their way to eat dinner at the Sunshine Suites when they were struck down. Courtney has also been charged with dangerous and reckless driving.

A witness who was driving on the other side of the road at the time the couple were hit told the court she had seen the crash. She said the Mustang was driving towards West Bay as she drove her car towards town. She said the car appeared to be going fast and out of control before she saw it swerve into the West Bay Road central lane. She recalled how the car jerked quickly back into the left lane before it hit the couple, throwing them into the air.

CCTV shown to the jury showed the Mustang make the two swerves, lose control and spin around before ploughing into the couple, as a wheel flung off the car as it mounted the curb.

The witness recalled that the elderly couple had little time to react, as the man had tried to move the woman, whom she assumed was his wife, but they were both hit. She said he appeared to be very badly injured when she rushed to help in the wake of the crash. She said there was blood all around his head and he was spitting blood from his mouth and was disoriented. The witness also revealed that she had seen a man and a woman in the Mustang at the scene of the crash but by the time the emergency services had arrived, the man had disappeared.

The Schuberts, who were visiting Cayman when they were hit by Courtney’s Mustang, were both badly hurt and suffered serious head injuries. Cathy Schubert was treated at the George Town hospital but her husband was airlifted to the United States following the accident.

Courtney, who is represented by Trevor Burke QC, has denied all charges against him and the case continues before Justice Malcolm Swift in court one Thursday.