Cyclist deliberately run down

[porteous]

A story in the Telegraph today - A young man described by his mother as "a bully" got 33 months for running down a cyclist and leaving him for dead because he "thought the cyclist was taking up too much road". 33months!! I hope he appeals because then it might be doubled!!!!

What hope is there if people really think they can behave like this?

 

[marinyork]

What was the outcome of the non-accident? If they weren't killed then I'd say this is actually quite stiff versus a certain other case round here.

 

[John the Monkey]

Cyclist spent 15 days in intensive care, 20 weeks in hospital (I think).

33 months is a ****ing disgrace. The driver had previously been prosecuted for driving away from the scene of another collision, and in this case tried to cover up his involvement (fairly sure he's been convicted of perverting the course of justice too).

 

[John the Monkey]

Mr Smith (the cyclist) suffered multiple injuries including deep cuts to both legs, internal bleeding, fractures to his left hand, broken ribs, lacerations to his liver and injuries to his throat. He spent 20 days in intensive care and 15 weeks in hospital.



Robertson (the driver) has a previous conviction for driving off after a collision.

Article on Times Online here.

 

[Tharg2007]

would he get the same if he used a gun? i doubt it.

 

[jeltz]

He is a serious danger to society. I wonder if prison will have any effect on him?

 

[davidg]

would he get the same if he used a gun? i doubt it.

this really.

put someone in a car and attempted murder becomes careless driving

 

[marinyork]

Article on Times Online here.

I was simply making the comparison to the case where the driver carried on driving and killed the cyclist. That said the same applies to this case, if this is the second time he's done it why wasn't the maximum penalty for leaving the scene of an accident sought you can't really get much more serious than (a) killing someone in the other case ( doing it a second time and them having life threatening injuries. 6 months just for that. I think both cases send a bad message on that front. Stubbs got 2 years. All right so both cases are horrific and should have got longer, but in that limited sense this is a lot stiffer gaol time (for various reasons and saying that he wasn't killed).

 

[Cab]

Knocking someone off a bike on purpose isn't an attempt to put them into a ditch to 'teach them a lesson' any more than shooting a gun at someone with the intention of injuring them would be. Its attempted murder, and if the criminal hasn't got the sense to understand that then it would be better to cart him off to an asylum and leave him there.

 

[psmiffy]

This thread I found to be quite depressing – 2 years for an act of deliberate violence that caused grievous bodily harm – Sentences for violent crimes seem to be lenient beyond belief – The question I would like to see the answered is why was he charged with dangerous driving when gbh carries a higher sentence.

As a cyclist I have to rely on people behind me not to deliberately run into me (or in a momentary lapse of concentration) - drivers need to be more aware of the serious consequences of their actions – a 2 year sentence to my mind does not seem to send out that sort of message

Until motorists mind set is changed we will continue to read of instances like this - the deliberate act luckily is relatively rare - but there are so many instances of momentary lapses of concentration/I did not see the cyclist/pedestrian - all drivers in a collision with a cyclist/pedestrian should be charged with the onus to prove that they are innocent - works in Europe

 

[Tharg2007]

this clearly sends out a message of do what you like so long as its in your car, then its an accident no matter the intent.

 

[wafflycat]

MrWC was victim of hit-and-run where the driver deliberately aimed & drove at MrWC from other side of road.. plod was not interested: "Oh we get a couple of those a week and there's nothing we can do" after taking over an hour-and-a-half to attend.

 

[skrx]

Look at this article.

"At Guildford Crown Court last Friday (November 6), Judge Peter Moss sentenced Robertson to 20 months for dangerous driving - criticising the maximum 24-month term as "absurdly low and incomprehensible" - and consecutive terms of eight months for perverting the course of justice and five months for theft."
(So why 20, not 24?)