TRIAL AGAINST CHARITY CHAIRMAN ACCUSED OF RUNNING OVER MARSHALL PUSHED BACK A YEAR

The trial against a Sandown man accused of running over a traffic marshall at a car boot sale back in 2021 will now not be heard until September next year. 63-year-old Garry Oates – the chairman of local charity Blue Seas Protection – is charged with dangerous driving and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The charges relate to an incident that occurred at the entrance to Sandown Airport, on Scotchells Brook Lane, on 26th June 2021. It’s alleged that Mr Oates drove his 4×4 car at a marshall, causing the victim leg injuries. Mr Oates initially appeared before Magistrates in April 2022, with the case being sent up to the Crown Court the following month. Formal not guilty pleas were entered and the case was listed for trial in November 2022. Delays to the case saw the matter pushed back to December this year, but once again the trial failed to get underway. Due to limited court availability, Mr Oates will now not stand trial until 23rd September 2024 – more than 3 years after the alleged offences took place