‘I’ll always feel for them’ - Blofield glazier accused of causing ‘life-changing’ injuries by dangerous driving speaks after not guilty verdict
Tyrone Parish and his fiance Hannah outside court. Photo: Luke Powell - Credit: Archant
A Blofield glazier has spoken of his relief after being cleared of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
Tyrone Parish, of Ropes Walk, burst into tears as a Norwich Crown Court jury returned a not guilty verdict today.
The 29-year-old was on trial after a pane of glass he was transporting two years ago sheered off and hit a car on the Acle Straight.
It resulted in a woman and her daughter suffering life-changing injuries.
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Mr Parish, who works as a glazier and locksmith for Norwich Glass, denied causing serious injury by dangerous driving on May 19, 2015.
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And it took a 12-man jury just over an hour to find him not guilty at the hearing this morning.
He burst into tears from the dock as the verdict was read out, and there were cries of joy from his family in the public gallery.
Speaking afterwards, Mr Parish, spoke of his relief that the trial had come to an end.
But he also passed his condolences to the two women who were left injured following the accident.
He said: 'If it was obvious it was going to happen, I would have never taken that chance.
'I have always apologised for what they [the mother and daughter] have had to go through.
'The first six months were a mix of sleepless nights, nightmares, flashbacks and nausea.
'I would wake up in hot sweats, kind of like I was gasping for air. The whole thing smothers your life.
'But while my problems are all emotional, I'll always feel for the two girls because there's are physical.'
Summarising the evidence, judge Stephen Holt said there was no criticism of Mr Parish's driving on the day of the accident.
Instead, it was focused around the state of the van.
The court previously heard the pane of glass was more than 14ft by 7ft wide, and was too big for the van's external carrying frame.
But Mr Parish, who had volunteered to drive the vehicle, said he thought it was safe and secure.
'It is going to scar me for life,' he said. 'This is an end of an era in my life that I don't ever want to go through again.'
Mr Parish said he was now planning to marry his girlfriend of three-years, Hannah, in September this year.
