A woman caused a car crash that killed her husband by pulling on the handbrake at 60mph during a row, a court heard yesterday.

Caroline Meeking, 45, allegedly locked the rear wheels of the Ford Escort after husband Alan, 49, who was driving, called her a ‘slut’ and told her he was leaving her.

The car skidded for 20 yards and smashed side-on into an oncoming Rover which was travelling at 50mph, killing Mr Meeking instantly.
His wife of nine years survived and passing motorists found her weeping over his body screaming: ‘I’m so sorry, Alan don’t leave me,’, a jury was told.

The tragedy happened at 10.22pm on August 30 last year as the couple – who ran a cattery – drove home to Illminster, Somerset, along the A3088 after a day trip to Bridport, Dorset, where they had enjoyed lunch before going on to a pub.
Ian Dixie, prosecuting at Bristol Crown Court, said Mr Meeking was twice the drink-drive limit and the couple had a 30-minute row as they drove home over her father.

He added: ‘One witness recalled her as saying, “It is all my fault, we were having an argument. He said he don’t want me anymore and I just pulled the handbrake. He called me a dirty slut, he was going to leave me.”’
Tragic: Alan Meeking, 49, died at the scene of the crash

Tragic: Alan Meeking, 49, died at the scene of the crash

Meeking wept uncontrollably throughout the evidence on the first day of the trial yesterday.

The court was told that in a police interview she said they had never argued in such a bad way.

She told officers: ‘He was telling me I was good for nothing. I thought to myself, all I have to do is keep quiet and he’ll stop. He was just going on and on and all I wanted him to do was stop.

‘I asked him to stop. He was just jabbering on. I said, “Please just stop, I want to get out.” [He replied] “you’re a good for nothing ****.” That’s the last words I heard.

‘I remember reaching for the handbrake and thinking “it will stop”.’

Meeking told police she was not ‘mechanically minded’, adding: ‘I thought the car would gradually come to a stop.’

Metal from the Escort crumpled around the driver’s side, causing Mr Meeking to sustain multiple injuries

She denies manslaughter.

The trial continues.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2055744/Caroline-Meeking-kills-husband-Alan-pulling-car-handbrake-60mph-row.html#ixzz1cSKhL0tv