American woman faces court charged over fatal crash outside N Ireland hotel
Coleraine Magistrates' Court heard that Cathy Stewart, 66, a special needs teacher from Benton, Illinois, lost control of an electric vehicle as she parked it outside a hotel in Bushmills.
The vehicle was described as having 'suddenly bolted forward' into furniture, striking Allison Eichner, aged in her 40s and from Connecticut, on Wednesday afternoon.
Ms Eichner was taken to hospital but died of her injuries.
Relatives of Ms Eichner watched court proceedings remotely while Stewart was granted bail on a number of conditions, including residing at her home address in Illinois and a £5,000 cash surety, in recognition that the case is unlikely to be heard until 2026 at the earliest.
Ms Stewart appeared before the court on Friday morning charged with causing death by careless driving on Wednesday June 11 on the Causeway Road in Bushmills.
She indicated she understood the charge when it was put to her.
A police constable said she believed she could connect the accused to the charge.
She also described a tragic incident for all involved, and said police were 'not entirely opposed to bail', describing the 'big problem' as being the address of the defendant but said with a substantial cash surety, bail could be an option.
'On Wednesday June 11, at approximately a quarter past 12 in the afternoon, a single-vehicle road traffic collision occurred at the front of the Causeway Hotel on the Causeway Road in Bushmills,' she told the court.
'It involved a grey Ford Transit, a multiple person vehicle, being driven by the defendant. The defendant collided with the pedestrian while she sat on a bench at the front of the property.'
She said Ms Eichner suffered severe injuries and was treated at the scene by paramedics before being transferred to the Causeway Hospital but died of her injuries a short time later.
'CCTV footage of the collision was obtained from the hotel, and it shows a Ford Transit being parked in the disabled parking bay after which the passengers get out and make their way into the hotel entrance,' she said.
'The driver's door appears to open slightly as though the driver was exiting the vehicle, however the vehicle moves forward slowly, and then suddenly bolts forward colliding with a light fixture, outdoor dining furniture and the victim who was sitting beside her brother on a bench.
'Her brother jumped out of the way but unfortunately the injured party sustained the full impact of the vehicle.
'The defendant was cautioned at the scene and gave an account consistent with the CCTV. The defendant stated she believed she had turned the car off before attempting to exit and as it rolled forward she tried to apply the foot brake however instead she hit the accelerator causing the collision.'
The constable said Ms Stewart was interviewed by police with her solicitor, answered all questions put to her, co-operated fully, and appeared remorseful.
'She had been in Northern Ireland since Tuesday afternoon on holiday with family and friends. She had left Belfast that morning with the ultimate destination of heading to Londonderry,' she said.
'The vehicle was a rental vehicle and she described taking time to familiarise herself with the controls before she left the airport. The defendant would say she was very cautious driving and stated she was in no rush.
'She admitted that she had never driven an electric or hybrid vehicle before, she described pulling into the parking space, stating that she pressed the start/stop button on the left hand side of the steering wheel and as far as she was concerned the vehicle shut down and stopped.
'The passengers in the vehicle got out and she remained in the driver's seat for a short time before stepping out of the vehicle and feeling it moving forward. She described trying to get back in and feeling for the brake, trying to stop the vehicle, however she stated she was feeling shocked and disorientated about what happened.'
A defence lawyer for Ms Stewart described a 'tragic, tragic case'.
'This was a simple error which has caused catastrophic consequences,' he said.
'This was an electric vehicle, she pushed the button, she assumed that the vehicle was off and of course being electric it doesn't make any noise. Unfortunately it has surged forward.
'At the end of her interview she was asked was there anything she wanted to say, I'll read what she said 'I'm just devastated, I can't get that family out of my mind. I'm the person who protects, to know that someone lost their life is devastating'.
'This is devastating for two sets of people, most especially the family of the deceased, and throughout Mrs Stewart's only thoughts have been with that bereaved family.'
He urged that bail is granted, adding she will have no difficulty coming back.
'She worked as a special needs teacher then a counsellor in a secondary school for over 40 years. She now works with a teaching union,' he said.
The judge said bail was 'entirely appropriate in this case', given that the evidential and forensic requirements of prosecution are going to take some time.
'Given that, it would be entirely disproportionate and inappropriate to keep you in custody for the duration of the investigation,' he said.
'Equally it would be entirely disproportionate to keep you from the United States whilst the investigation is ongoing, so I will grant bail.
The case is next to be mentioned on July 1.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
7 hours ago
- Metro
Alleged samurai swordsman cooked his cat before 'killing 14-year-old schoolboy'
An alleged swordsman tried to cook and eat his cat before killing a schoolboy during a rampage in London. Marcus Arduini Monzo is accused of murdering a 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin and mowing down a pedestrian Donato Iwule with a van. He is further accused of attacking two police officers as well as a couple in their home on April 30 last year, under the influence of cannabis. Monzo, 37, admitted to skinning and deboning his pet cat Wizard before he allegedly launched a spree of violence in Hainault. He told jurors at the Old Bailey that in the days before the attacks, he 'received guidance and communication' in his head that the cat 'was being used against me by negative forces' and he took it to a park to get rid of it. After the cat returned to his Newham flat in the morning, he strangled it despite claiming he did not want to. He said: 'After I strangled him he [the communication] was telling me that the cat had taken energy from me and to replenish and get the energy back, I had to eat the cat.' Monzo said he tried to cook it, but became 'panicked and rushed', believing an event 'like an Armageddon' was happening. The defendant said he didn't have time to eat the animal, so he put it in the back of his Ford Transit and picked up swords, a ball bearing gun and a backpack containing clothes. He said: 'I had this idea that the world was collapsing… something big was happening, I didn't know exactly what, I had the idea that I wasn't coming back.' Monzo said he then drove towards his parents' house. He used his van to knock Mr Iwule into a garden, then slashed him in the neck with a samurai sword before the victim escaped, jurors heard. Asked why he changed direction, the defendant said: 'That is something I have thought about a lot, every day, why just a block away from my parents' house? A block later, I would have arrived at their house.' Daniel, who was wearing headphones on his way to school, was virtually decapitated. PC Yasmin Mechem-Whitfield chased the defendant through alleyways before he struck her three times with the sword with a 60cm blade, prosecutors said. Monzo then allegedly entered a property and attacked a couple who were sleeping in an upstairs bedroom with their young daughter nearby. He also struck Inspector Moloy Campbell once with the sword before he was arrested. However, the defendant said he had no memory of what happened until he was tasered. He told jurors: 'My memory after I left my home… gradually it becomes very vague and abstract… not very clear.' Monzo said he was smoking cannabis 'three or four times a week' before the attack, but denied doing so on the day. Jurors heard that he told an expert that cannabis was a 'major contributor' to the rampage, but he played down its effects on Friday. He told jurors he did not think it 'guided' the killing. He said the swords were bought for 'display' purposes. Monzo had earlier spoken of taking psychedelics and drinking his urine years before amid an interest in spirituality. Around 2017, he began following YouTube spiritual guru Sadhguru, which led to a year-long stay in India, jurors heard. Monzo said he was taught at a retreat to detach from family and friends. During a weekend trip, he took ayahuasca — a hallucinogenic brew traditionally used in South America. He returned to the UK 'looking skinnier' before travelling to a remote part of Brazil to consume more ayahuasca, the court heard. Monzo also said he took the powerful psychedelic ayahuasca twice in the UK, describing it as having stronger effects during 'ceremonies'. He later travelled again to Brazil and India, and also attended breatharian festivals in Italy and Denmark, which promote living without food. On his return to the UK, Monzo said he argued with family members because he was 'not very clean' and began drinking his urine for 'cleaning' purposes. He added: 'I would use it to shower, on the hair, even using it on the nose.' After the attack, he likened events to the Hollywood film The Hunger Games and claimed to have an alternative personality of a 'professional assassin'. Monzo denies Daniel's murder and the attempted murders of Mr Iwule, Sindy Arias, Henry De Los Rios Polania and Ms Mechem-Whitfield, as well as wounding Mr Campbell with intent. He also denies aggravated burglary and possession of a bladed article relating to a kitchen knife. Monzo admits to having two swords. The trial continues. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: GCHQ intern who risked exposing staff by taking top secret data home is jailed MORE: Two men jailed for six years combined over Blenheim Palace £4,750,000 gold toilet theft MORE: Ways to treat your dad for Father's Day 2025 including 'world-class' steak
Daily Mirror
11 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
US tourist 'hit accelerator rather than brake in fatal crash' near UK landmark
A court heard US tourist Cathy Stewart, 67, hit a woman who was sitting on a bench near the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland with her vehicle - the woman later died An American tourist involved in a fatal crash near the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland hit the accelerator rather than the brake, a court heard today. US resident Cathy Stewart, 67, appeared at Coleraine Magistrates' court charged with causing death by careless driving. A police officer told the court the collision, involving a grey Ford Transit vehicle, happened at the front of the Causeway Hotel in Bushmills at around 12.15pm on Wednesday. The officer said a pedestrian who was sitting on a bench was hit during the crash. The Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) and Ambulance Service personnel rushed to the scene of the collision. The pedestrian was taken to Causeway Hospital in Coleraine but sadly died of her injuries. In court, the police officer said footage obtained from the hotel showed the vehicle being "parked in a disabled parking bay" before passengers departed, Belfast Live reports. The court heard that the footage shows the vehicle "move forward slowly" before it "suddenly bolts forward". The deceased's brother, who was also sitting on the bench, managed to "jump out of the way" of the moving car, the court heard. The officer said Ms Stewart, who was cautioned at the scene, "gave an account consistent with the CCTV." The driver told police she had "tried to apply the foot brake and hit the accelerator" and she "appeared remorseful" during interview, the officer said. The defendant said she had "never driven an electric or hybrid vehicle before" and had mistakenly believed the vehicle was "off". The court was told the defendant said she had got back in to the car and was "feeling for the brake to stop the vehicle". A defence solicitor described the collision as a "tragic, tragic case" where a "simple error" has had "catastrophic consequences." The solicitor read a portion of the defendant's interview with police, where Stewart had described herself as "just devastated". The solicitor told the court the defendant had said she "can't get that family out of my head" and that her "only thoughts are with that family". The court heard the defendant had worked for decades as a special needs teacher, had no criminal record, and had never been involved in an at-fault collision before. Bail was granted with a £5,000 cash surety with the judge describing it as "entirely disproportionate" to keep the defendant in custody or away from her home in the United States during what he said is expected to be a lengthy judicial process. The case was listed again for July 1.
The Herald Scotland
14 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Sword attack accused ‘had no time to eat cat' and recalls nothing of killing
He is accused of murdering 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin, mowing down pedestrian Donato Iwule with a van and attacking two police officers and a couple in their home on April 30 last year. Monzo wept while giving evidence at the Old Bailey on Friday as he said he did not intend to harm anybody when asked about why he bought the swords. He told jurors that in the days before the attacks he 'received guidance and communication' in his head that the cat 'was being used against me by negative forces' and he took it to a park to get rid of it. He said the cat returned to his Newham flat on the morning of the rampage, and that he strangled it despite claiming he did not want to. Asked why it was skinned, he told jurors: 'After I strangled him he (the communication) was telling me that the cat had taken energy from me and to replenish and get the energy back I had to eat the cat.' Monzo said he tried to cook it, but became 'panicked and rushed', believing an event 'like an Armageddon' was happening. Marcus Arduini Monzo with a samurai sword (Metropolitan Police/PA) The defendant told jurors 'I didn't have time to eat the cat', so he put it in the back of his Ford Transit and picked up swords, a ball bearing gun and a backpack containing clothes. He said: 'I had this idea that the world was collapsing… something big was happening, I didn't know exactly what, I had the idea that I wasn't coming back.' Monzo said he then set off towards his parents' house. He used his van to knock Mr Iwule into a garden, then slashed him in the neck with a samurai sword before the victim escaped, jurors heard. Asked why he changed direction, the defendant said: 'That is something I have thought about a lot, every day, why just a block away from my parents house? A block later I would have arrived at their house.' He then virtually decapitated Daniel, who was wearing headphones on his way to school, the court heard. Daniel Anjorin (Metropolitan Police/PA) Pc Yasmin Mechem-Whitfield chased the defendant through alleyways before he struck her three times with the sword which had a 60cm blade, prosecutors say. Monzo then allegedly entered a property and attacked a couple who were sleeping in an upstairs bedroom with their young daughter nearby. He also struck Inspector Moloy Campbell once with the sword before he was arrested. However, the defendant said he had no memory of what happened until he was tasered. He told jurors: 'My memory after I left my home… gradually it becomes very vague and abstract… not very clear.' Monzo said he was smoking cannabis 'three or four times a week' before the attack, but denied doing so on the day. A police officer being attacked during the police pursuit (Metropolitan Police/PA) Jurors heard that he told an expert that cannabis was a 'major contributor' to the rampage, but he played down its effects on Friday. He told jurors he did not think it 'guided' the killing. He said the swords were bought for 'display' purposes. Monzo had earlier spoken of taking psychedelics and drinking his own urine years before amid an interest in spirituality. Around 2017, he began following YouTube spiritual guru Sadhguru, which led to a year-long stay in India, jurors heard. Monzo said he was taught at a retreat to detach from family and friends. During a weekend trip, he took ayahuasca — a hallucinogenic brew traditionally used in South America. He returned to the UK 'looking skinnier', before travelling to a remote part of Brazil to consume more ayahuasca, the court heard. Monzo also said he took ayahuasca twice in the UK, describing it as having stronger effects during 'ceremonies'. Footage of the police pursuit and arrest of Marcus Arduini Monzo in Hainault (Metropolitan Police/PA) He later travelled again to Brazil and India, and also attended breatharian festivals in Italy and Denmark, which promote living without food, jurors were told. On his return to the UK, Monzo said he argued with family members because he was 'not very clean'. The defendant told the court he began drinking his own urine for 'cleaning' purposes. He added: 'I would use it to shower, on the hair, even using it on the nose.' After the attack, he likened events to Hollywood film The Hunger Games and claimed to have an alternative personality of a 'professional assassin', the court heard. Monzo denies Daniel's murder and the attempted murders of Mr Iwule, Sindy Arias, Henry De Los Rios Polania and Ms Mechem-Whitfield, as well as wounding Mr Campbell with intent. He also denies aggravated burglary and possession of a bladed article relating to a kitchen knife. Monzo admits having two swords. The trial continues.
