THE JURY in the trial of a Shepley man accused of killing a woman with his car was expected to begin considering its verdict today.

Eton Brewins, 26, of Field Head, has denied charges of manslaughter and dangerous driving.

It follows the incident outside the Visage nightclub, at St Thomas' Road, Folly Hall, Huddersfield, in the early hours of September 11 last year.

Brewins was accused of knocking her down and dragging her beneath his car.

Jolene Potter-Connolly, 23, of Almondbury, was killed after being dragged for 168 metres beneath the car.

Closing the case for the prosecution on day six of the trial, Rodney Jameson QC told the jury that Miss Potter-Connolly had been acting as peacemaker after a car park bust-up between two groups.

He said: "It's a particular cruelty of fate that it should be Jolene Potter-Connolly, doing what we know she did in trying to prevent trouble, who was the subject of a terrible death."

Mr Jameson took the jury of seven men and five women through the evidence which had been presented.

It included Brewins getting out of his maroon Ford Escort to talk to a group of men, who he believed had thrown something at his car.

Mr Jameson said: "He decides to get out of the car and the first question - because it's not a matter of dispute, it's a matter of what you make of the undisputed evidence - the first question you may like to ask yourself is why?

"Why did he get out at that point?"

The barrister reminded the jury that the dad-of-two initially told police he only had three Bacardi and Cokes that night - before later telling them he had one and a half bottles of alcopops as well.

Mr Jameson said it wasn't true and said the earlier evidence of a forensic scientist indicated that.

He then turned to what he described as the "first matter of controversy".

He outlined the altercation in which Brewins had produced a police-style baton.

Mr Jameson said: "Did Martin Adams become involved before or after Eton Brewins drew his baton?

"Brewins said he drew it because he saw Martin Adams coming towards him, but Martin Adams said he saw Brewins pull out his baton and wave it at Jerry Nyeste.

"That's the first matter of controversy."

Mr Jameson said that at no stage did Martin Adams punch or strike Brewins after taking the weapon from him.

Mr Jameson also said that other people in the car park knew there was a problem when Brewins reversed and knocked people over.

He added: "Everybody knew it was happening.

"Even those who were sitting in cars parked some distance away knew something was happening on the near side of the car.

"Is it really the position that Brewins didn't?

"If he admits that he knew Martin Adams, Jerry Nyeste and Jolene Potter-Connolly, or any of them, are at the open passenger door leaning into the car at the time he reverses off backwards `smartly', `fast', `very fast', `like an idiot', depending on which witness you take as to know, he did it.

"He would be admitting that he knew perfectly well that he would mow them down when he drove off backwards like that.

"He dare not admit it because how could he justify it?"

Closing the case for the defence, Robert Smith QC said there was another way of looking at it, which involved people trying to pull open the passenger side door as Brewins drove.

He said: "Jolene Potter- Connolly died in the most appalling circumstances and you would be forgiven for concluding that someone had to pay for her death.

"Clearly, if any person has to pay for her death, Brewins, who sits in the dock at the back of the court, is the man who has to pay as he was driving the car and he is, after all, the only person charged with a criminal offence arising out of this."

Mr Smith went on to ask the jury to think about the incident in the car park before anyone had been knocked over, where Miss Potter Connolly and her sister Tonya had been trying to calm the situation.

He said: "Why were those girls trying to stop Han Lee, Briggs, Adams, Nyeste - all four of them - from violence and neither of those girls made any attempt to stop Eton Brewins or his friends from doing anything?

"Does that tell you a great deal about the focus of the aggression after Eton Brewins had been stupid enough to take the baton out of the car?"

The trial continues.