A Halesworth town councillor has been found not guilty of causing the death of a teenage motorcyclist by careless driving.

David Thomas, of Old Station Road, Halesworth, walked free from Ipswich Crown Court today following a short trial.

The jury heard Mr Thomas had been driving a transit van west along Norwich Road, parallel to the A14, in April last year and had turned right onto Sandy Lane in Barham when the collision occurred.

Motorcyclist Darnell Meade, 19, from Needham Market, who was riding in the opposite direction, struck the side of Mr Thomas’ van at such force it almost tipped the vehicle over.

Mr Meade was killed instantly.

The jury heard Mr Meade wasn’t a qualified motorcyclist and had been riding at more than 85 mph when Mr Thomas had made the right turn.

Mr Thomas chose not to give evidence in the trial but a police interview he gave following the collision was read out in court.

He told detectives he hadn’t seen the motorcyclist coming towards him as he pulled out and that the road appeared to be clear.

He said he was almost in the junction when he spotted Mr Meade.

“He was wobbling and I assumed he was going fast,” he said.

“I thought he was going to miss me and then I heard a bang.”

The court heard how Mr Meade, who was riding a Kawasaki, had entered a 40mph limit zone shortly before the crash and that through police analysis of CCTV was estimated to be travelling between 87 and 97 mph.

The prosecution had alleged Mr Thomas would have had around 6-7 seconds to see Mr Meade’s motorcycle before the impact and that the collision could have been avoided.

The jury heard how Mr Thomas was involved in a number of local charities as well as being a Halesworth town councillor.