A TV producer who fled the scene of a fatal crash, in which a biker died, then claimed to have passed out in a field overnight, before contacting the Police, faces jail. Dafydd Evans, 41, left Darran Beynon, 24, dead, or dying, on the A40, rather than face Police and take a breath test for drunk driving. Evans had been at a Christening party earlier that day. Evans, pulled onto the A40 at Dryslwyn in October 2004 into the path of Mr Beynon's motorcycle. The Yamaha motorbike turned into a fireball on impact. Witnesses described the scene as `carnage.'
According to evidence given in court, Evans then claimed he spent 14 hours face down in a muddy field, oblivious to police helicopters and police dog teams, who were sent to look for him. Evans eventually handed himself in at Carmarthen Police Station, the following morning where he tested negative for alcohol and tried to blame Mr Beynon's speed for causing the crash. He denied causing death by dangerous driving.
But a jury at Swansea Crown Court this week found him guilty by a 10-2 majority verdict. He was granted bail while sentencing was adjourned for three weeks for reports but Judge Eleri Rees hinted that jail was highly likely in this case. During the trial, the prosecution put it to Mr Jones-Davies, who was Evans' passenger in the car, that he had helped his friend leave the crash site. But the accusation was denied. Yet Jones-Davies said the next time he saw his friend after the accident was when he walked into his house "looking wild" the next morning. How remarkable that Evans fought concussion and exhaustion, yet staggered to his friend's house after 14 hours in the countryside. Mr Beynon's family left court without making comment.
