A PENSIONER accused of causing a Stroud motorcyclist's death by careless driving appeared in court yesterday.

Patrick Wilson, 74, of Flower Road, Stratford-upon-Avon, appeared before Gloucester magistrates, accused of causing the death of 69-year-old Andrew Maclean, from King's Stanley.

Mr Wilson is accused of causing the death of Mr Maclean by driving a Toyota Previa without due care and attention on July 31. The incident occurred on the A429 at Shooter's Hill near Cirencester.

Mr Maclean, of King's Stanley, near Stonehouse, was riding a Suzuki motorbike at the time of the collision.

Wilson entered no plea to the charge at yesterday's hearing.

Prosecutor Malcolm Hayes said the tragic incident happened on a long straight stretch of the A429 at a point where there were continuous white lines approaching a blind right-hand bend.

Wilson was allegedly overtaking a slow-moving horse and trap, which was doing only 3-4mph, when Mr Maclean came around the bend from the other direction on his motorcycle, said Mr Hayes.

Fallen

Police calculations suggested that Mr Wilson was doing 40-41mph at the time of the accident, he said.

According to the man driving the pony and trap, the motorcycle approached "very quickly" and close to the centre white line, Mr Hayes said. The next thing he knew the motorcycle was on its side and the rider had fallen off.

"He says in his opinion the car driver had nil view and the overtaking was suicidal," alleged Mr Hayes. "He describes the manoeuvre as very, very dangerous."

Wilson wanted to be tried at Gloucester Magistrates' Court, and his barrister Hugh Williams argued that the case was not so serious that it had to be tried in the crown court.

But district judge Martin Brown disagreed and ruled the case was too serious.

He said the case would have to be dealt with at Gloucester Crown Court.

Mr Brown accepted prosecution submissions that of the three categories of seriousness laid down in law the case fell either in the middle or highest category and not in the lowest one. Giving his decision that the case must go to crown court the district judge told Mr Wilson: "We all recognise this is a very sensitive case for the public, for the family of the deceased and also, of course, for you.

The judge bailed Mr Wilson to return to the magistrates' court on May 23 for proceedings to commit him to the crown court.

"The prosecution say you conducted a manoeuvre which all, or in part, took place either over or straddling the double white lines.

"The decision this court must make is that this case must be determined and concluded at the crown court."