THE family of Simmone Hedges is anxiously awaiting a court's decision.

Magistrates in Hendon heard the evidence for and against Rati Suladze, of The Larches, Hillingdon, who is charged on two counts relating to the death of Simmone - known as Minnie - in the road where he lived last November.

Miss Hedges, 19, died of multiple injuries 'consistent with a traffic collision' in hospital on November 26 after being run over five days before.

Prosecutors say she was lying in the road at the time.

Miss Hedges, of Brampton Road, Hillingdon, worked at GlaxoSmithKline in Stockley Park and was loved by her many friends.

Mr Suladze, 35, born in Georgia, is charged with failing to stop at the scene of an accident, and failing to report an accident, but he argued he was not aware that he had run anybody over and denied the charges.

A packed courtroom heard on Monday that Mr Suladze, who was working as a security guard at The Mall Pavilions, Uxbridge, on a night shift, had returned home on the night of November 21 to pick up cigarettes or a phone charger - he could not recall which.

It was on his journey back to work that the horrific incident happened for which he stood accused.

Mark Marsh, prosecuting, said: "Miss Simmone Hedges was lying in the road at the time. There is no suggestion Mr Suladze was driving dangerously, but to run over her is clearly something he should have noticed."

Mr Suladze, representing himself in court, recalled hearing a noise and stopping further up the road to pick up the rear bumper of his Ford Mondeo, which had become detached.

He said: "I put the bumper in the boot. I could not leave it lying in the road, I did not see anybody lying there.

"I just heard a noise. I did not hit anything or see anything, the lights in the road were not good. If I'd seen her, I would have helped her."

However, evidence heard from PC

Brian Devreux, of the Collision Investigation Unit at Alperton, revealed that tyre marks left at the scene showed a car had left the ground on the driver's side and run over Miss Hedges body, something a driver would have noticed.

He said: "There was a tyre mark caused by wheelspin, the driver certainly would have felt it when he ran her over.

"Your steering would move; if you steer over a tin can you can feel the car move, so driving over a person would be felt.

"It was only a partially lit area, and there was heavy rain. I do not recall any defective lights."

Why Miss Hedges was lying in the road at the time remains a mystery unlikely to be solved. When she was first discovered, she did not have her possessions on her, and it was feared she had been assaulted before being run over.

A murder investigation was launched, but police investigations found her handbag and possessions strewn across the road, as it had become caught up in a car's wheel.

Also found at the scene was a blue piece of plastic, which police recovered and sent to a laboratory for testing. It was identified as belonging to a Ford Mondeo.

When police ran a search of blue Ford Mondeo owners in the area on December 6, they discovered one at Hillingdon Heath Cars, Uxbridge Road, Hillingdon, which Mr Suladze had sold days before.

When police visited Mr Suladze they discovered the rear bumper still in his back garden.

David Maycock, a dealer at Hillingdon Heath Cars, said: "He bought an Astra and part-exchanged the Mondeo, which drove well despite a problem with a gearbox.

"He called me and seemed worried on the phone. However there was nothing to make me think he was desperate to get rid of it."

Monday's expected verdict was delayed after the court failed to order an interpreter, and had to find another at the last minute for Mr Suladze, who spoke good English, but struggled with the more technical terms of the proceedings. This put back the start of the trial by four hours.

The magistrates must decide whether or not Mr Suladze was unaware that the collision had taken place.

As the case is being heard in a magistrates' court, the maximum punishment Mr Suladze would receive if he were found guilty is a six month prison sentence and a £5,000 fine.