A woman has appeared in court following the death of a passenger in a car she was driving which veered across a road and crashed into undergrowth, last month.

Jody Rachel Gillings was driving a Peugeot 206 on Tanfield Lead Road, between Tantobie and Stanley, when it apparently crossed into the opposite carriageway and left the road altogether.

The car ended up on its roof in a bush in an area of woodland, at about 11.45pm on Sunday September 3.

As a result of the accident a 29-year-old male passenger died from his injuries.

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Ms Gillings, of Roseberry Street, Beamish, appeared at a plea at Durham Crown Court on a charge of causing death by dangerous driving.

Read more: Eight offenders among those jailed at Durham Crown Court in September

At the outset of the hearing her counsel, James Bourne-Arton, asked that the charge should not be put to her.

“There are concerns as to her fitness to plead and to stand trial.

“I have tried to explain to her what is dangerous driving and she wasn’t able to give me instructions on that.”

Mr Bourne-Arton said the defence has identified a psychiatrist to carry out a medical examination of the defendant to prepare a report for the court in about four weeks.

He said by then the results of toxicology reports should be available, while he added that there may also have been a problem with the car’s steering and so the mechanics of the vehicle may also be an issue in the case.

“Somehow the car ends up in the wrong side of the road, having gone sideways across the road and there was a piece of glass within the tyre,” added Mr Bourne-Arton.

A date was set for a hearing to discuss the fitness to plead issue, on December 8.

Judge James Adkin told the defendant: “Because of concerns about the state of your mental health you have not been asked to plead in a case where the car you were driving left the road and there was a serious accident.

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“I want the case back in the list by December 8 to see if you are fit to plead and by then we will also have mechanical evidence.”

The 28-year-old defendant was bailed on the same terms she has been subject to recently, to return to court for the further plea hearing on December 8.

A provisional date for the start of a three-day trial, should she plead not guilty, was fixed for April 8.