February 19, 2001 12:58: FORMER car repair centre manager Andrew Hearn hit a pedestrian in his car when the man staggered across the road from a nearby pub, a court heard.

The pedestrian, Leo Batting, who had drunk up to 15 bottles of Smirnoff Ice, later died of his injuries.

Hearn, 24, of Burn Walk, Burnham, a former manager of Kwik Fit in High Wycombe, pleaded guilty at Wycombe Magistrates Court to careless and inconsiderate driving after an original charge of causing death by dangerous driving was withdrawn by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Prosecuting, Tessa Lorimer said Hearn had been driving on Lent Rise Road in Burnham at around 11.20pm when the accident happened on August 20 last year.

She said Hearn had been driving his Citroen Saxo round a left hand bend when Mr Batting was trying to cross the road after coming out of a nearby pub but was hit and thrown 34 metres into the air.

The court was told Hearn had seen a man standing in the middle of the road and had been braking and driving to the opposite side of the carriageway to avoid him.

Mr Batting was found to have cocaine, nicotine and caffeine in his system and a witness had seen him drink 10 to 15 bottles of Smirnoff Ice.

Ms Lorimer said police estimated Hearn had been driving between 39 and 46mph in a 30mph zone and said that he had a black strip across his windscreen to block out sunlight, which could have affected his vision. However, Hearn's lawyer Mr Sheldon said the strip on the windscreen had been professionally fitted and approved.

Hearn's licence was endorsed with nine penalty points and he was ordered to pay a £150 fine and £50 costs.

Syreeta Lund