Jury watches police video of interview with accused

‘I just panicked. I didn’t know what to do to help her,’ accused Linda Britton said on the video played to the jury at her double-manslaughter trial.

The accused Linda Britton was taken by police to the now former Macksville Hospital a few hours after an incident at Nambucca Heads where two people lost their lives.. Photo: Chris Knight

A jury has watched video of Linda Britton - who is charged with the manslaughter of two women, including that of her daughter - speaking with police.

Ms Britton, 54, stands accused of running over her daughter, Skye Luland, 24, and Kazzandra Widders, 20, at the Nambucca Plaza carpark on September 28, 2019. Both women died at the scene.

The hearing before Judge Jonathan Priestley in the Coffs Harbour District Court has already run for two weeks. Ms Britton has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

On Friday, the jury heard from Senior Constable Ward, and was shown video she recorded when she spoke with Ms Britton.

The Nambucca Plaza

In the footage, Ms Britton said she had driven to the plaza to pick up her daughter Skye, who was there with her father, David Luland, though the court heard it was his intention to walk home.

Ms Britton was heard to say a “white car” turned up at the carpark and a number of people got out and a brawl ensued.

“They all started attacking us and I didn’t know what to do,” Ms Britton said on the video played to the court.

One of the fights allegedly involved Ms Luland and Ms Widders - the two who were later pinned under a vehicle.

“I just saw Skye getting bashed and hit and hit and hit and hit,” Ms Britton was heard to say on the video shown to the court.

“I thought that girl was going to kill her.”

Ms Britton herself suffered a badly injured arm in the melee, the court has heard.

Senior Constable Ward subsequently spoke with the accused at a Gumma address, some 20 minutes’ drive from the plaza.

In further police camera footage played to the court, Ms Britton said: “I just panicked. I didn’t know what to do to help her (Skye).”

Police then took Ms Britton to hospital for medical treatment and for mandatory blood and urine tests as they believed she had been the driver in a fatal incident.

The court heard that she was interviewed there by a detective from Kempsey, with Senior Constable Ward filming.

In the footage played to the court, Ms Britton said: “They all got out of the (white) car with bundi sticks.

“I didn’t know how to get out of there. We were all getting bashed.

“That girl just wanted Skye.”

In the video played to the court, Ms Britton said as she tried to get into her own car she was hit with a bundi stuck.

“I couldn’t get away from these people,” she said in the police footage.

The trial continues.