An ongoing legal aid dispute has prevented Terry Hodgson from entering any pleas in relation to a fatal accident that claimed the life of Paul Andrew Wright nearly 16 months ago.
Hodgson, 46, was charged with causing death whilst driving uninsured. At the time of the 28 Nov. 2020 accident, Hodgson’s vehicle registration and inspection certificates were said to have expired, as of 30 Sept. and 3 Nov. 2020, respectively. An insurance policy for the vehicle is said to have expired on 13 Oct. 2020.
According to court documents, Hodgson is alleged to have been travelling along Shamrock Road, Bodden Town, in the vicinity of Midland Acres, heading towards George Town.
The summary of facts claims that at approximately 5:45am, Hodgson struck Wright, who was a pedestrian crossing the road to board a passenger bus that was parked on the shoulder of the lane heading towards George Town. Hodgson is said to have been travelling at 45 miles per hour in a 50 mph zone.
Wright, who was 32 years old, was transported to the Cayman Islands Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries the following day.
In November 2021, Hodgson made his initial Summary Court appearance where the matter was transmitted to the Grand Court after being deemed a Category A charge – which can only be dealt with in the higher court.
Since then, he has made four Grand Court appearances, the most recent of which was Friday, 4 March, but the matter has been unable to move forward because of a lack of legal aid funding.
“It would seem that despite Mr. Hodgson’s best efforts the matter with legal aid has not been able to progress any further,” said attorney Crister Brady, who at the time of the hearing was not formally able to represent Hodgson due to the lack of funding.
“I gather that the Legal Aid Department wants him to prove that he does not have any additional bank accounts; however, I’m not sure what more can be done, as Mr. Hodgson is a man whose means is that of straw,” added Brady, as he asked for the court’s help to move the matter forward.
Hodgson was released on bail and is expected to return to the Grand Court next month.
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