Bateau Bay: Bus driver Craig Marjoram pleads guilty to causing Leigh Black’s death

Legal argument about the admissibility of a video re-enacting the moment a bus driver fatally struck a female pedestrian has ended in a shock development on the eve of his trial. Full story here.

Bus driver Crag Marjoram, 65, has pleaded guilty over the crash which killed pedestrian Leigh Black, 46, outside Bateau Bay Square shopping centre. Picture: supplied

Lawyers for a bus driver charged with causing the death of a woman on a pedestrian crossing outside a busy Central Coast shopping centre had wanted to play a re-enactment video in front of a jury at his trial.

The Crown prosecutor, however, argued the re-enactment was flawed because there was no way of telling where the 65-year-old driver’s eyes would have been looking at the critical moment of impact.

In the end the legal argument, which started at a call-over on Thursday and continued on Monday, was superseded when bus driver Craig Hollan Marjoram, of Killarney Vale, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving occasioning death.

The 64-year-old had pleaded not guilty to the offence, and a backup charge of negligent driving occasioning death, and was due to begin his trial in front of a jury at Gosford District Court on Tuesday.

However on the eve of his trial on Monday — when his lawyers and the Crown were expected to resolve the issue over the re-enactment video — Marjoram changed his plea.

Bus driver Craig Hollan Marjoram, 65, of Killarney Vale, leaving Wyong Local Court at a previous appearance. Picture: NewsLocal

The driver admitted his conduct behind the wheel of his Red Bus service was dangerous when he ploughed into popular bottle shop owner and mother-of-two Leigh Black at 9.25am on August 19, 2022.

Mrs Black was on the pedestrian crossing at the Woolworths end of Bateau Bay Square shopping centre when Marjoram’s bus ran her over.

Mother-of-two and small business owner Leigh Black, 46, was tragically killed when she was hit by a bus outside Bateau Bay Square Shopping Centre on August 19. Picture: Facebook

Paramedics worked to save Mrs Black but she could not be revived.

Mr Marjoram returned a negative roadside breath test and was taken for mandatory blood and urine tests, which also returned negative results.

He was taken to Wyong Police Station where he was charged.

Mrs Black was remembered as a loving mother, devoted wife and tireless small business owner who moved to the Central Coast from Sydney four years ago before opening the Simply Better Wine bottle shop and deli at Avoca Beach.

Marjoram’s bail was continued and he was adjourned to face a sentence hearing on Thursday.