Jurors taken through Stephanie's final journey
JURORS retraced the final journey of an allegedly abducted Wakefield woman by watching footage shot from a helicopter.
The panel of nine women and three men followed the helicopter's ride from Balne Lane to Batley Road where Stephanie Hammill died in November 2003.
The video was played at Sheffield Crown Court on Wednesday where Greek national Ioannis Revenikiotis is on trial accused of the 20-year-old travel agent's kidnap and manslaughter.
The jury saw an aerial long-shot of Miss Hammill's home in Lincoln Street, central Wakefield, which was just off the alleged kidnapper's route.
The court has heard how Miss Hammill and her boyfriend, James Garland, believed Revenikiotis's car was a taxi. But it sped off before Mr Garland, who was only about three metres behind his girlfriend, could get in.
The prosecution claim Miss Hammill either jumped or fell from the black Mercedes, fearing sexual assault.
She was found dead in the middle of Batley Road, just under two miles away, having been run over by a real taxi. It was driven by cabbie Mohammed Ashiq, who failed to stop.
The licensed taxi driver had defective tyres but they had no bearing on the accident nor did Mr Ashiq's driving. Miss Hammill was lying in or across the Wakefield-bound carriageway when she was fatally hit by the cab.
Mr Ashiq would have had no opportunity to avoid her, said prosecutor Alistair MacDonald QC in his opening address.
Miss Hammill suffered multiple injuries and it's believed she would have died almost instantly from the impact with the taxi.
Mr MacDonald also showed jurors plans and an aerial photograph of the scene. He asked whether it was just a coincidence that the Wakefield woman had exited Revenikiotis' car just as open country beckoned beyond Alverthorpe.
The QC added: "It was her last chance, wasn't it? She was being driven away, we submit, into a place of darkness. Where there were no houses. You may think it's very significant where her body was found."
The barrister said: "She just wanted to go home with her boyfriend having had a good night in Wakefield but the vehicle carrying her went well beyond her home address."
Revenikiotis, 29, formerly of School Crescent, Dewsbury, has pleaded not guilty to both charges.
The trial, which began on Wednesday, October 3, continues.
Please check this website for further updates and Friday's Wakefield Express for full coverage of the case, which is expected to last five weeks.
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Tuesday 22 May 2012
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