"I can't help it if a cyclist falls over"

[Lincov]

http://www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/news.php?id=1363185

That's heartbreaking, I am still shocked by this terrible verdict. Even if the judge opted for a light sentence for whatever reason, to call Dr Measures "not guilty" is a travesty of justice.

 

[glenn forger]

In his summing up, the judge laid great emphasis as to Dr Measures’ character. Why? At no stage were we permitted to give evidence as to the character of our daughter — even to confirm her previous cycling experience.

 

[glenn forger]

The driver blamed the dead girl for..being there. I doubt Dr Helen Measures feels anything but relief that her lawyer got her off, she has never once expressed regret and instead said it was Denisa's fault, and her lawyer said it was Mr Pontin's fault for taking her for a bike ride on a sunny Sunday morning.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

If evidence was presented that the victim was an inexperienced cyclist and thus she and her boyfriend were the authors of her misfortune and that inexperience is not actually the case then justice has not been served.

 

[Spinney]

It sounds as if the prosecuting counsel was not doing his/her job very well...

 

[Boris Bajic]

If evidence was presented that the victim was an inexperienced cyclist and thus she and her boyfriend were the authors of her misfortune and that inexperience is not actually the case then justice has not been served.

Well, in part, yes.

However, inexperience itself ought not to get one killed if other road users are behaving considerately. I made this point upthread. It behoves all road users not to assume that others are not inexperienced or novice.

But... I disagree about the raising of the 'inexperience' issue being the point at which justice was not served. It seems perfectly reasonable for a defence counsel to raise the spectre of inexperience. It is for the prosecution to demonstrate that this is not so, if indeed it is not so.

A good defence barrister will raise any doubt they can think up in the lavatory. It is their job. It is the job of the prosecution to show that the doubt is inaccurate or wrong. It would appear that in this case they did not do so.

It is not the job of the grieving parents to make that point through the press some weeks after the case has been heard - and several months after the death.

Nonetheless, inexperience itself should not be a death sentence (or even a reason for road bullying).

Having heard all the evidence presented by defence and prosecution and having heard the cross-examination of all witnesses presented, a jury found the defendant not guilty - a verdict which did not elicit comment from the judge. That in itself suggests (but doesn't prove) that there is more to this case than has been reported.

 

[glenn forger]

If evidence was presented that the victim was an inexperienced cyclist and thus she and her boyfriend were the authors of her misfortune and that inexperience is not actually the case then justice has not been served.

http://www.pcc.org.uk/complaints/makingacomplaint.html

Top cancer specialist cleared of killing 21-year-old novice cyclist in car crash

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ing-21-year-old-novice-cyclist-car-crash.html

Let down by the justice system ,then lied about in the press.

 

[Lincov]

It sounds as if the prosecuting counsel was not doing his/her job very well...

I agree, been thinking about this on and off over the last hour. Would the parents of the victim be able to appeal the judgement if they could get funding for a better prosecutor? I know very little about how the legal system works in this country!

 

[jarlrmai]

I think new evidence needs to come to light.

 

[Origamist]

That is a desperately sad and incredibly moving eulogy from Denisa's devastated parents.

Edit: Issue sorted.

 

[Spinney]

Best if you report offending posts like that using the report button - mods don't read all the threads...

 

[glenn forger]

The newspaper are being contacted with letters from the cycling community, or just cyclists if you prefer, to express sympathy, and bafflement, and anger. Not directly, through the paper who can forward them. Above all embarrassment, at least for me, I'm embarrassed that the parents were put through that hideous ordeal and that lies can be printed about their daughter with no come back whatsoever. Anyone who wants to can join in, nothing can ease the suffering but at least they know they're not alone in their feelings.

 

[Origamist]

If anyone wants to write a letter of condolence, pm me as I have the email details of the news editor of The Henley Standard.

 

[Origamist]

The road in question appears to be the B480 and the collision took place near Stonor (other national papers list an A road, but I'd take the local paper's word). The lanes are narrow around Stonor - have a look on Street View. It looks pretty flat to me...

CrashMap has the location of the fatality.http://www.crashmap.co.uk/Search (type Stonor and it is the only black flag on the map). StreetView is enabled.

Notice how narrow the lanes are in the vicinity of the crash site on the bend. It is also clear that sightlines would have been compromised (more so than Street View suggests as Dr Measures' car was either partially or wholly in the opposing lane - unlike the Street View car).

 

[Frood42]

Wow, the more I read about this the more I really despair about the decision making and sanity of people...
While I may not have all the facts, at this point in time I do not understand how this came to be not gulity...