Woman pleads not guilty to death by careless driving

A woman has pleaded not guilty to causing the death by careless driving of disgraced former councillor and Ireland international rugby player David Tweed.

The 61-year-old died in October 2021 when his motorcycle was involved in a collision with a car in the Whitepark Road area of Ballycastle, County Antrim.

Anne Broughton, 71, from the Whitepark Road, Ballycastle, denies a single charge.

Mrs Broughton spoke only to confirm her identity and enter a not guilty plea during the hearing at Antrim Crown Court.

Some members of Mr Tweed’s family were in the courtroom.

A defence barrister told the court he had ordered an engineer’s report into the crash.

Mr Tweed was a councillor for the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) but left the party in 2007 over its decision to share power with Sinn Féin.

He later joined the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV).

In 2012, he was convicted on child sex abuse charges, which were quashed in 2016 due to the way the jury was directed in his initial trial, after he served four years of an eight-year sentence.

Lawyers for Mr Tweed challenged the conviction based on flaws in how bad character evidence was put before the jury.

Some members of Mr Tweed’s family have spoken out about the abuse, with his stepdaughter criticising politicians who issued messages of condolence after his death.

Following his conviction, he was expelled from the Orange Order and was suspended and then replaced by the TUV.

Mrs Broughton was released on continuing bail.

A trial date was fixed for 8 December at Antrim Crown Court.