Trial of man accused of causing death by dangerous driving starts

Jury of seven sworn-in at Douglas Courthouse

A warning that this story contains information which some readers may find distressing.

The trial of a Douglas man accused of causing death by dangerous driving started at Douglas Courthouse today (11 February).

Onchan resident Jordan Thomas was involved in a road traffic collision near his home, on Harbour Road, on 25 February last year.

The 29-year-old sustained severe injuries including ‘significant head trauma’ and was airlifted to Aintree Hospital in Liverpool where he died on 4 March 2024.

This afternoon a jury of seven people - five men and two women - was sworn-in to preside over the case of 35-year-old Jackson Joseph Paul.

Road Traffic Collision

Opening the case Prosecutor Roger Kane said police had been called to Harbour Road at 7.45pm following reports that a BMW had collided with a pedestrian.

Mr Thomas, who was found lying in the road, had suffered ‘catastrophic injuries’, including ‘significant head trauma', after falling from the bonnet of the vehicle.

Mr Paul, who’d remained at the scene, was arrested and taken to Police Headquarters.

Videos

Mr Kane said Mr Paul’s front seat passenger had provided two videos to police, which he’d recorded on his mobile phone, which showed some of the incident.

He said this footage, which will be shown to jurors this week, will be ‘crucial’, adding: “The videos are, by far and away, the most important evidence in this case.”

The prosecutor said the first video would show Mr Thomas lying across the bonnet of the BMW, pulling at the windscreen wipers, before the car horn sounds and the vehicle begins reversing.

The second video, Mr Kane said, would show Mr Thomas lying across the windscreen of the vehicle, as the vehicle started moving forward, before falling into the road backwards and hitting his head.

“There can be no doubt such behaviour was bizarre. Was Jordan Thomas intoxicated? Was he joking about? Suffering from a mental health episode?” Prosector Roger Kane

The jury was also told Mr Thomas has approached another vehicle, moments before Mr Paul arrived on the scene, and also got onto the bonnet.

“Was he looking for attention? Was he messing about? We’ll never know,” Mr Kane added.

Dangerous Driving

Jurors were told Mr Paul told police in interview he was out for a drive when he saw Mr Thomas standing between parked cars.

After stopping, and gesturing for him to cross the road in front of him, he claimed Mr Thomas then climbed onto his vehicle instead and began punching his windscreen, leading to him sounding his horn.

Mr Paul claimed he had begun ‘panicking’ and told officers he thought Mr Thomas was going to punch his way into the car and potentially assault him and his passenger.

The jury also heard Mr Paul had told police he’d tried to put his automatic car into reverse but accidently put it into drive meaning the vehicle moved forwards instead; he then began braking.

Mr Kane told the jurors that it is the prosecution’s case that Mr Thomas’ death was caused by Mr Paul’s dangerous driving and he was therefore ‘criminally culpable’.

This he said was because he’d accelerated from 0-30mph over a 50-metre stretch of road whilst Mr Thomas was on the bonnet.

Mr Paul’s actions, the prosecution says, were ‘unreasonable and disproportionate’ and fell below that of a ‘competent driver’.

Trial Continues

Deemster Graeme Cook told jurors that whilst they will be presiding over a ‘highly emotional case’ they must ‘try and remove all emotion’.

He added they needed to consider the evidence in a ‘cool, calm and dispassionate way’.

He also told them they must not discuss the case with anyone else, or on social media, and advised them not to do any internet research.

Jackson Paul denies the charge against him; the trial will continue at Douglas Courthouse tomorrow (12 February).