The Court of Appeal has upheld the conviction of a man jailed for a fatal collision that cost a teenager her life.

Terrance Walker, from Pembroke, was sentenced to three years behind bars for causing the death of 18-year-old Jen-Naya Simmons by careless driving in an incident 2018.

While he argued in the Court of Appeal that there were “lurking doubts” about his guilt given the evidence heard in his Supreme Court trial, the court upheld both his conviction and his sentence.

A written judgement with the reason for the decision is expected to be released soon.

During the Supreme Court trial, a jury heard that in the early hours of July 15, 2018, Ms Simmons was on her way home on a motorbike from a house party in Warwick when the fatal collision occurred on North Shore Road in Hamilton Parish.

Jada Simmons-Trott, a friend of Ms Simmons, said that she had seen a grey or white van moving west in the area partially in the eastbound lane moments before she lost track of her friend.

Another witness said she had seen a silver van travelling west turn off its lights moments before she came across the scene of the collision.

The witness said she later saw the same van ride through the scene of the fatal collision travelling in the opposite direction, noting that the vehicle had four people inside.

CCTV footage on North Shore Road showed a silver van approaching the crash site near the time of the collision, and the vehicle was found to be registered to Walker.

The same vehicle was seen later travelling in the opposite direction on the same road.

Walker told police later that he was the usual driver of the vehicle, and that the van had been involved in a “fender bender thing”, but denied that it had been involved in an accident.

The court also heard that Walker performed as a DJ, and was promoted as a performer at an event at Bailey’s Bay Cricket Club on the night of the collision.

Glenn Luben, a US-based investigator who gave evidence for the Crown, said that Ms Simmons had fallen — and was later struck by another vehicle while she was in her own lane.

However, Michael Prime, a British collision investigator and witness for the defence, said it was more likely that Ms Simmons had fallen into the incoming lane and was knocked back into her own lane when struck.

After he was found guilty by a majority verdict of 9-3, Walker admitted in court that he had been a passenger in the van when the fatal collision took place.

However, he said he would not reveal the name of the person who had been behind the wheel.

“This is a burden that I will carry with me for the rest of my life to protect the other person present in the vehicle,” Walker told the court.

He added: “I’m truly remorseful that I did not get out of my vehicle and stay with Jen-Naya. Confusion and panic took over.”

In addition to his three-year prison sentence, Walker was banned from driving all vehicles for a period of five years.

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