A road safety campaigner spoke of ’12 months of hell’ after being accused of deliberately running over a love rival.
Ian Spiller, 36, said he felt ‘numb’ after he was today cleared of mowing down 39-year-old Karl Davies.
Lib Dem Councillor Mr Spiller said he was ‘completely shocked’ when 35-year-old Vicky sided with her new man as a prosecution witness but expressed relief today after being cleared.
‘I am relieved that this nightmare has been brought to an end, and 12 months of unfounded accusations resulted in a jury finding me not guilty in 30 minutes of all charges,’ he said.
The jury heard Spiller (left, outside Newport Crown Court drove at his victim after becoming jealous when Vicky (right) met the new man
‘I regret very much that Karl Davies suffered series injuries as a result of my actions on 11th Feb 2017, however the accusations that I ran over him have been proven to be untrue.
‘There was absolutely no physical evidence on the car and Karl Davies never received any lower body injuries.
‘Karl Davies approached my car as I was pulling up and my female passenger was subjected to an unprovoked assault.
‘After smashing through the passenger window with his bare fists he proceeded to try and drag my female passenger through the broken window by her hair.
‘My actions in driving off to prevent her being further hurt I drove the car away, as a result Karl fell from the vehicle causing him significant injury to which we were completely unaware.
‘During this process I have been completely shocked at the willingness of my ex-wife, Vicky Spiller, to omit crucial evidence to remove Karl Davies from any blame, something which was thankfully recognised by the evidence and the jury.
‘I would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody that has trusted and supported me throughout this horrendous ordeal and for my community for showing the faith in me to re-elect me in May 2017 despite the outstanding allegations against me.’
Mr Spiller was accused of accelerating towards Mr Davies in his Audi A5 when he saw him walking along a pavement with his wife. He was accused of using an app to track down his estranged wife Vicky.
The Liberal Democrat councillor allegedly used an app to to access all of his wife’s texts and track down their location before running Mr Davies down with his car.
But Spiller denied being responsible for Mr Davies’ injured – and said he hurt himself when he attacked his car.
During the trial Spiller said: ‘Karl Davies was running at my car.
‘There were just punches going everywhere. He punched the pillar then the wing mirror.
‘I turned the car back into reverse – he followed, he was in a blind, blind rage.’
Mr Spiller and wife Vicky had been married for 10 years before splitting up – but the pair still lived in the same home with their two children.
Spiller and wife Vicky (pictured) had been married for 10 years before splitting up – but the pair still lived in the same home with their two children
Ian Spiller, 36, was accused of accelerating towards Karl Davies, 39, in his Audi A5 after seeing him walking along a pavement with his wife Vicky (pictured with Spiller)
The court heard Spiller – who led a campaign for road safety in their home village – drove at his victim after becoming jealous when she met the new man.
Christopher Rees, prosecuting, said: ‘Mr Davies remembers nothing more than a white flash and a scream.
‘Mrs Spiller noticed that her husband’s car was driving behind them at what she thought was some speed.
‘Spiller deliberately mounted the pavement to drive at Mr Davies, the man he had just found out was having an affair with his wife.’
Mr Davies was knocked unconscious and suffered a fractured skull following the incident.
Mr Rees said: ‘Spiller had contacted Mrs Spiller and told her that he was now aware that they were having a sexual affair.
Mr Davies was knocked unconscious and suffered a fractured skull following the incident, allegedly involving Spiller (pictured arriving at Newport Crown Court)
Mrs Spiller (pictured) claimed that the car smashed into Mr Davies and sent him flying into some nearby bushes
‘That was his belief. Apparently he downloaded some sort of app which allowed him to get access to Mrs Spiller’s texts.’
The court heard Spiller – who served as a Lib Dem member on Laleston Community Council in Bridgend, South Wales – ran into Mr Davies on February 11, 2016.
Mr Rees said: ‘Mrs Spiller’s account is that the car hit and pushed him into some bushes a couple of feet behind him.
‘Spiller then reversed the car and as he did so, Mr Davies punched the side passenger window – he had been deliberately driven into.
‘Spiller continued to drive away and Mr Davies was being dragged on the road.’
The court heard Mr Davies was left unconscious on the floor, ‘blowing bubbles from his mouth’ after being hit on the roadside in Bridgend, South Wales.
He told a jury he has no memory of being hit – and described a ‘flash of white’ as the last thing he saw.
Before the alleged car attack Mrs Spiller and Mr Davies were at a pub watching a rugby match together, and he was walking her home just after 8pm.
He said: ‘I didn’t realise there was tension between them.
‘I planned just to walk her to the top of the street, then I was going to head back home myself.
Mrs Spiller (pictured) was walking along the pavement with Mr Davies when she claimed her estranged husband deliberately drove into him
He said: ‘I remember walking to the end of the cycle path and I turned left. I turned left, still on the phone, all I can remember was a white flash.’
Mr Davies was left with a fractured eye socket, a broken jaw, nose, cheek bones and brain injuries.
Spiller told police he did not deliberately target Mr Davies, and he was forced to swerve to avoid him when he was driving along the road.
Spiller, whose sister-in-law Holly Crawford was in the front passenger seat, says Mr Davies grabbed her by the throat and he revved the car to get away.
He started a group called the ‘A48: Make It Safe campaign’, after a 16-year-old schoolboy was hit by a motorbike and killed near their home village.
Spiller, of Bridgend, was cleared of dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.