A FARMER accused of causing the death of a teenage biker by careless driving has been acquitted by order of the judge.

As soon as prosecutor Jason Beal closed his evidence, defence counsel Nick Lewin submitted there was no case for his client Geoffrey Williams to answer.

Plymouth Crown Court's resident judge Francis Gilbert agreed, and explained to the jury why. He said to convict Mr Williams, they needed to be sure of two things:

l his driving had fallen below the standard expected of a competent and careful driver

l his driving was a cause of the death of Ian Keenan, 17.

Judge Gilbert said: 'The prosecution evidence was full of theory and probability but very little hard evidence.'

He said there were no marks on the road to show where the moped had been travelling, no skid marks, tyre marks or debris at the point of collision and no-one could be sure precisely where the front of the loading arms on Mr Williams' tractor had been when they had been struck by the bike on September 18, 2008.

Judge Gilbert added: 'I make no criticism of the motorcycle rider and am not blaming him in any way. He is not on trial.'

He said there was no evidence of what speed the bike had been doing, though it could not have been more than its maximum of 44mph, and no evidence that Ian had reacted at all to the presence of the tractor, except possibly by raising his arm at the last moment. There was no evidence of any evasive action at all.

Judge Gilbert said police could not say exactly where the collision took place, but their best estimate put it just a foot out from an imaginary line marking the junction of a lane leading to Sherwell Farm with the Hemerdon-to-Sparkwell road.

Therefore, on a road 10 feet wide, nine feet would have been available for Ian to pass safely. The judge said there were many unanswered questions, including why did he not pass safely when there was room to do so and did he see the tractor? 'The evidence is silent,' adding that the prosecution had not produced any expert witnesses to say Mr Williams should have been driving with the loading forks of his tractor raised.

The jury, under orders from the judge, formally acquitted Mr Williams unanimously.

Outside the court Mr Williams, 62, from Yeo Farm, Meavy, said: 'It was a tragic accident.

'It's very sad, and they (the family) will have to live with it for the rest of their lives.'

Police family liaison officer MPC Alastair Joines released this statement on behalf of Ian Keenan's mother Edith Buckby and other relatives, who had packed the public gallery throughout the four-day trial: 'We have not looked to apportion blame. We had hoped for a change in the guidance to tractor drivers at junctions so this can never happen to another family.

"Ian was a very much-loved member of our family; he is missed every day and will never be forgotten."