The saga continues: Gumballer Nick Morley guilty, but may be released
Earlier today, we got word from Team Polizei founder Alex Roy that a court in Macedonia found Nick Morely responsible for the deaths of the Cepuljoskis, which resulted after his Porsche Turbo struck the couple during the 2007 Gumball Rally. At this point, however, the court has decided to release Morely on a suspended sentence.The Team Polizei site has compiled a number of sources, including a timeline of the events, and Mr. Roy has taken the time to voice his own opinions and conjecture. Roy is justifiably skeptical about whether or not the Macedonian court will actually let Morely walk, considering how convoluted the process has been thus far.
Time will tell whether or not the tragic events of the past month will dampen the enthusiasm of rally participants, but we already know that rally organizers are in the process of planning their next event for 2008.
[Source: gumball144.com]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
bestmacs 6:04PM (6/08/2007)
G'day from Australia,
I've been following this story closely. I wondered what the legal consequences would be, so thanks for the update.
Cheers, mate
David McMahon
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Agile 11:15PM (6/08/2007)
I'm guessing this event will have to go underground, or cease to exist.
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Namir 11:28PM (6/08/2007)
it won't cease to exist.
but i thought the family wasn't pressing charges? is he still going to be prosecuted?
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Nick 1:32AM (6/09/2007)
They should lock those bastards up and throw the key away. Bad enough that they killed 2 innocent civilians, but to hit and run... wow. If they get to go free, it's a travesty. Though of course, if you want to kill someone, at least in the US, use a car, because our vehicular homicide laws are a joke.
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Justice 8:02AM (6/10/2007)
Nicholas Morley car accident, Macedonia, May 2nd 2007
STATEMENT OF FACTS AS ISSUED BY THE MORLEY FAMILY 8TH JUNE 2007
• According to two expert crash investigators, the vehicle driven by Nicholas Morley was travelling at no more than 47mph (76kph) at the time of the accident
• The initial accident investigation was carried out by a professional Macedonian investigator. His findings were reviewed and confirmed by Dr Richard Lambourn, an established expert in the field
• Dr Lambourn was an accident reconstruction specialist at the Metropolitan Police Forensic Science Laboratory for 23 years (1973-1996) and is currently a principal consultant at TRL, an independent, not-for-profit transport research firm and consultancy. It was the firm that reconstructed the car crash that caused the death of Diana, Princess of Wales
• The cause of the crash was a second vehicle pulling out of a minor road without warning and into Nicholas’s path. The cause of the crash has not been disputed by the prosecution
• According to the defence expert witnesses, Nicholas had 1.6 seconds to respond to the second car’s sudden appearance, causing him to react reflexively and swerve violently to the left. The defence experts concluded that the accident would have been unavoidable at 30mph (50kph)
• The court declined to hear the evidence of the defence expert witnesses, although the testimony of the prosecution expert witness was heard
• Macedonia is party to the European Convention on Human Rights, Article 6 of which provides a detailed right to a fair trial. Under the Macedonian Criminal Code, the defence has a right to submit evidence
• The prosecution’s accident investigator is not a professional in this field. He admitted in court that he is currently unemployed. He further admitted in court that the police sketch of the crash site on which he based his findings is inaccurate
• Dr Lambourn concluded that the accident investigation report relied on by the prosecution is “fundamentally flawed in its physical and mathematical reasoning.” He further concluded that it was “quite impossible” that Nicholas’s car was travelling at the 100mph (161kph) alleged by the prosecution
• The family of the Mr and Mrs Cepunjoski, who were tragically killed in the crash, have called for the court to release Nicholas
• Following the accident, Nicholas and his passenger, Matthew McConville, attempted to disentangle the vehicles and offer what assistance they could. They only left the scene after the injured persons had left the scene in local vehicles. Nicholas and Matthew then travelled to the border to alert the police
• Nicholas Morley and Matthew McConville spoke to the investigating judge at Qafasan, on the Macedonia/Albania border
• Nicholas Morley did not try to flee the country. He was released on bail, with no conditions or restrictions attached. He was free to leave the country
• Nicholas Morley, 30, is not a millionaire; he does not work in property
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Stuart 6:48AM (6/14/2007)
What an injustice!! Should have been tried in this country and then maybe nick would have got a sentence that reflected his crime - a killer!!! No doubt he used his money to get out of this one. His family should be ashamed of him but they will probably celebrate instead without any passing thought to the two innocent people nick killed!!!
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Steven Jones 7:45AM (6/14/2007)
Picture this... You crash your car and realise you have seriously injured two people (or killed at least one person) then you attempt to run away from the scene and escape to another country; then after being questionned by police and bailed you then attempt to escape again by hiring a private jet (his family says he’s not wealthy!!) … come on, this man is trash!!
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Steven Appleby 9:05AM (6/25/2007)
The Sun says Nick's on bail in this country for using fake number plates... let's pray that English law delivers more justice!! Unless of course he (or his brother) pays to get out of this!!! I hope nobody deals with Nick and his property company again! Maybe then he won't be another millionnaire getting away with killing people!
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