BREAKING: Pensioner found not guilty of causing road death by dangerous driving after claiming her car 'malfunctioned'

Ann Diggles, 82, of Dalehead Avenue, Leyland, had denied the charge throughout her trial at Preston Crown Court, insisting her Nissan Qashqai car "malfunctioned".

Pedestrian Julie Dean, whop was leaving the St Catherine's charity shop on July 7, 2014, on Sumner Street in Leyland was killed when Diggle's car mounted the pavement.

Eyewitnesses described the car as being out of control.

The court previously heard Diggles parked on the opposite side of the road on double yellow lines, intending to display her disabled badge, when she saw a space become free in a designated parking bay.

In her police interview, she said her car "took off" and that she had pressed the brake but "nothing happened.

The court heard collision investigator PC Richard Harrison located tyre marks on the road believed to be "acceleration marks" and the prosecutions case was that she had pressed the accelerator instead of the brake.

Various motoring experts including officials from Nissan gave evidence in the case as Diggles defence team argued the incident was caused by a complex electrical scenario known as a "sudden acceleration incident" and that the electronic transmission of a car malfunctioned and caused the car to accelerate without any input from Mrs Diggles."