A CAERWENT woman has been found not guilty of causing the deaths of an elderly couple by dangerous driving.

Taylor McDonnell was talking on her mobile phone when she hit retired 86-year-olds Denis and Joyce Drew as they walked arm in arm on an evening stroll in Ponthir.

Miss McDonnell said she was using the phone at the time of the crash but insists she had been using the loudspeaker function to talk to her grandfather.

Evidence supplied to the court indicated McDonnell made four separate calls between her house in Caerwent to the scene of the crash. She was on the phone for 18 minutes of the 20 minute

journey.

It was discovered that Miss McDonnell had used several different phone masts during the journey, indicating the phone was on the move.

She insists she was stationary when she initiated the calls.

Miss McDonnell said she only knew she hit Mrs Drew when she got out of the car. "I thought I hit an animal, until I got out of the car and saw a handbag. I ran into the pub for help and I was told later that I hit a lady."

The defence for Miss McDonnell claimed poor lighting at the scene, her likely perception to reaction time and the factoring in of an oncoming car all made for difficult driving conditions.

David Loat, a collision reconstructionist said: "In my opinion there were a number of circumstances that made the collision unavoidable."

Summing up, prosecutor Lucy Crowther argued: "You didn't see the Drews, why? Because you were on your mobile phone."

The jury took eight hours to return not guilty verdicts.