Nick Bannister, 63, has now been charged with causing death by driving without due care and attention in relation to the incident in February 2020 at the Coniston Hotel, near Skipton.

Mother of the bride Judith Wadsworth, 66, of Baildon, was attending her daughter Rebecca’s wedding at the hotel when she was struck by Bannister’s green Range Rover while crossing the car park. She died at the scene from head and chest injuries.

At the time Bannister was managing director of the hotel, which his family have owned and run since his parents bought the Coniston Hall estate in the 1960s.

He made his first appearance at Harrogate Magistrates Court on Thursday and pleaded not guilty to the charge. When offered the chance for his case to be heard before magistrates, Bannister declined and instead opted for a jury trial at Bradford Crown Court.

The prosecution outlined facts of the incident, which occurred after Mrs Wadsworth and her family had arrived at the hotel reception. She then left to return to her car and collect more belongings around a minute before Bannister also left to drive the short distance from his car, which was parked outside the lobby, to the hotel’s gym and spa complex.

As he pulled onto the access road, Mrs Wadsworth was crossing and a front-on collision occurred at around 10-15mph. Mrs Wadsworth was dragged under the car and Bannister did not initially realise he had struck her, before pulling up a short distance away.

He was arrested and tested negative for alcohol and told police officers that he had not seen Mrs Wadsworth.

Bannister’s defence case will rest on the ‘narrow difference between a tragic accident and an act of careless driving’ but the prosecution will argue that he should have seen Mrs Wadsworth and experienced a ‘momentary lapse of inattention’.

Bannister, of Aire Bridge Farm, Bell Busk, offered his condolensces to the Wadsworth family, who attended court, during the hearing and was granted unconditional bail until his trial in October.

Mrs Wadsworth, who ran a chemicals business with her husband Lee, left son Nick, daughter Rebecca and four grandchildren.

In 2013 Nick Bannister's younger brother Tom died after leaving the Coniston Hotel following a function when he accepted a lift from a family friend who then crashed her Range Rover Vogue into a wall while over the drink drive limit. Tom was thrown from the car. She fled the scene without dialling 999 and later called Tom's father Michael Bannister, who arrived to find him lifeless. The driver was sentenced to three years in jail.

Nick Bannister, who has three sons, is well known in the racing community and has served as chairman of Haydock Park Racecourse.

Nick Bannister: Coniston Hotel managing director opts for trial for careless driving charge over death of wedding guest in car park