Gumball crash driver tried to flee in private jet
By Bojan Pancevski in Vienna and Colin Freeman, Sunday Telegraph
Last Updated: 12:43am BST 07/05/2007
The British Gumball Rally 3000 driver arrested in Macedonia over a fatal car crash was caught trying to flee the country in a private jet, police have revealed.
Nick Morley, 30, who is facing possible criminal action after a high-speed collision that killed a local couple, was detained at Skopje Airport on Friday just hours after a judge had granted him bail. He is said to have called the jet in from London on a mobile.
Morley has been transferred back to the remand prison where he was held after being arrested and interviewed following the accident on Wednesday.
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Interior Ministry spokesman Ivo Kotevski told the The Sunday Telegraph yesterday: "The court revoked its original decision and granted Mr Nick Morley bail late yesterday. He was even given his passport back as a sign of good will. But within hours, Mr Morley ordered a private jet to pick him up from Skopje.
"While trying to board at 10pm on Friday, Mr Morley was recognised by the border officer. It is astonishing that Mr Morley attempted to leave the country. He has got competent legal representation and the authorities have made sure his rights were guaranteed."
The brother of a wealthy property developer, Morley was behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 when it collided with a Volkswagen Golf near Struga close to the Macedonian border with Albania, killing the driver Vladimir Chepunjoski, 67, and his wife Margarita.
Morley, from Bowden, Cheshire, and co-driver Matthew McConville, 36, from Prestwich, Greater Manchester, are alleged to have left the scene, although their lawyers say they waited for ambulance crews and reported the crash to police.
Border guards stopped them shortly afterwards, however, as they tried to cross into Albania in another contestant's car.
Mr Chepunjoski died on the way to hospital from severe head injuries, while his wife died on Friday night in Skopje. The rally was called off after the incident.
