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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Mother killed as drug swoop went wrong
Olwen Dudgeon Yorkshire Post
Saturday 11 Mar 2006 A MOTHER died from injuries she suffered in a road crash when an undercover police surveillance operation on a van driver ended in tragedy, a court heard yesterday. Leah Van der Wal, 27, was a passenger in a car which was struck as the van driver Carl Freeman fled from drug squad officers who moved in to arrest him at a layby. Andrew Dallas, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court a police vehicle tried to stop Freeman from rejoining the main road and was in collision with the hire van he was driving "wing to wing." Freeman then drove across the A642 heading for a gap in the central reservation. He was pursued by a police van which "at some stage came into contact with the rear" of Freeman's van, said Mr Dallas. Freeman then hit the rear of a Nissan Almera car in which Mrs Van der Wal was a passenger. The impact sent the car into the fast lane on the opposite carriageway where another van collided with it. Mrs Van der Wal, a mother of three, of Crag Mount, Pontefract, died in hospital. Freeman carried on to the M62 in his seriously damaged van but eventually had to stop. Nearly 50kg of cannabis with an estimated street value of up to £214,000 was found in the back. Freeman, 46, of Temple View Road, Leeds, was jailed for four-and-a-half years after admitting possession of cannabis with intent to supply. A charge of causing Mrs Van der Wal's death by dangerous driving was dropped at an earlier hearing when Mr Dallas told the court further consideration had been given following the receipt of an expert's report. Officers watched Freeman on March 17 last year when he drove from Harehills, Leeds, to a nursery outside the city where he met a Toyota driver and a box and a bag were moved into his van. After he left the M62 at Rothwell officers decide to block him in at a layby but he pulled away and the accident happened. Jonathan Carroll, for Freeman, said he was promised £500 for acting as a courier. Later Neil Franklin, Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS West Yorkshire said reluctantly they felt unable to pursue the death by dangerous driving charge. "We are however pleased with the outcome of today's hearing and hope this provides some small comfort to the victim's family."
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