The trial of an American tourist who denies causing the death of a Conon Bridge motorcyclist last summer has been put off until later in the year because of the cost of her travel to Inverness to defend herself.
Barbara Ardell from Dunwoody, Georgia, is accused of driving carelessly and causing the death of Paul Todd by turning right, into the path of his motorbike at an Inverness junction.
The 62-year-old allegedly caused the crash at the Kingsmill Road /Culcabock Road junction on July 18 last year.
Mr Todd, 57, a prison officer, died as a result of his injuries after his Honda collided with Ardell’s Skoda Fabia.
The court heard Ardell, who suffers from a chronic illness, wanted her husband to give evidence on her behalf. But he recently suffered a mini stroke and is unable to travel for the August 11 court appearance.
Fiscal depute Roderick Urquhart added that a prosecution police witness was also unavailable for the scheduled date next month.
He went on: “In addition, Mrs Ardell, who has to pay for her own defence, has indicated that it will cost £12,000 for flights to this country in August when it will only cost £3,000 in November.”
Sheriff David Sutherland agreed to set a new date of November 3 for the trial which will last several days.