Prison van driver cleared of murdering woman

A prison van driver was cleared today of murdering a woman who was dancing in front of his vehicle.

Andrew Curtis, 49, was also found not guilty at the Old Bailey of the manslaughter of Nyaraui Benjamin, 34.

Curtis, of Orpington, Kent, had told the court Miss Benjamin's death in Brixton, in April, last year, was an accident.

He said he had not seen her after she pulled down one of his windscreen wipers.

He moved his van containing prisoners and ran over Miss Benjamin who had fallen to the ground, the court was told.

Miss Benjamin was described as eccentric and was known to dance in traffic in the area.

Curtis said he last saw her to the left side of his vehicle and believed she had moved on to the pavement when he drove off.

"If she was in front of my vehicle as we now know I could not see her and I did not see her," he said.

The jury queried whether murder and manslaughter were the only charges applicable to the case.

Judge Martin Stephens said it had been a "most difficult and unusual case" involving sympathy for the victim and the driver.

He told the jury that on the charges put before them, they had "an onerous and difficult task" in reaching verdicts.