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http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereve...driver_mowed_down_cyclist_in_road_rage_attack
Van driver 'mowed down cyclist in road rage attack'
August 13, 2010
Share Article | Submit Comments | Comments (14) | Printable VersionPrevious | NextA van driver who deliberately ran down a cyclist in a road rage incident has been found guilty of dangerous driving.
Motor mechanic Clive Gillatt, 37, who had been angry at being stuck behind the rider on his bike, swerved to hit him.
His Ford Transit Connect van then crushed the back wheel of the £500 bike, and had victim Carl Robinson not leaped clear, he said he too would have gone under the vehicle.
A jury at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court, which was unanimous in finding him guilty, had been told that he had been involved in a similar incident before.
Michael Leeming, prosecuting, said that six years ago, Gillatt, of Petersburgh Road, Edgeley, Stockport, had deliberately driven directly at a police officer in Scotland when he was caught doing a drugs-deal on a car park in the Lothian and Borders force area.
The officer was forced to leap for his life to get out of the way of the vehicle.
Gillatt found his exit blocked by a police car and deliberately rammed it to shunt it out of the way.
He was sentenced to three months in prison for dangerous driving at Edinburgh Sheriff's Court.
The Minshull Street jury were told that the incident involving the cyclist happened on Petersburgh Road on August 24 last year.
Mr Robinson, who had been visiting a friend, said he cycled past the yellow van, which had been stationary at the kerb with its engine running.
As he cycled along the one-way street, he heard the van accelerating behind him, with the driver rapidly changing gears.
He told the court that he had been alarmed and kept glancing behind him as the vehicle got nearer and nearer.
He then stopped his bike to remonstrate with the driver, who after asking him what the problem was, began to "mouth off" at him.
Mr Robinson cycled on, but said Gillatt pursued him along the road, deliberately intimidating him by getting within a foot of his rear wheel.
He said he spotted a gap in a line of parked cars to his left, and aimed for it, intending to get out of the way.
Before he did so, the van hit his bike, and he found himself sprawling in the road, the court heard.
He staggered to his feet to find the bike badly damaged, and Gillatt after giving him the V-sign through his window, sped off.
The driver later went to Stockport Police Station to report the incident, complaining that the cyclist was to blame.
In court he denied driving too fast, or getting too close to Mr Robinson, and alleged it had been the cyclist who had been enraged, and begun swearing at him.
Prosecutor Mr Leeming put it to him: "If he was effing and jeffing, what had happened to make him behave in this way?"
Gillatt replied: "Maybe he was having a bad day, I don't know."
Mr Leeming said: "You anticipated that he would report the accident, which is why you went to the police station, isn't it?"
Gillatt replied: "It crossed my mind, yeah."
A witness who was walking with her small children along Petersburgh Road at the time, dialled 999 to contact police, telling the emergency services operator: "The van smashed right into him and drove off. It actually swerved to hit him on purpose."
Gillatt, who pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving, will be sentenced at Minshull Street Crown Court on Friday September 10.
http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereve...driver_mowed_down_cyclist_in_road_rage_attack
Van driver 'mowed down cyclist in road rage attack'
August 13, 2010
Share Article | Submit Comments | Comments (14) | Printable VersionPrevious | NextA van driver who deliberately ran down a cyclist in a road rage incident has been found guilty of dangerous driving.
Motor mechanic Clive Gillatt, 37, who had been angry at being stuck behind the rider on his bike, swerved to hit him.
His Ford Transit Connect van then crushed the back wheel of the £500 bike, and had victim Carl Robinson not leaped clear, he said he too would have gone under the vehicle.
A jury at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court, which was unanimous in finding him guilty, had been told that he had been involved in a similar incident before.
Michael Leeming, prosecuting, said that six years ago, Gillatt, of Petersburgh Road, Edgeley, Stockport, had deliberately driven directly at a police officer in Scotland when he was caught doing a drugs-deal on a car park in the Lothian and Borders force area.
The officer was forced to leap for his life to get out of the way of the vehicle.
Gillatt found his exit blocked by a police car and deliberately rammed it to shunt it out of the way.
He was sentenced to three months in prison for dangerous driving at Edinburgh Sheriff's Court.
The Minshull Street jury were told that the incident involving the cyclist happened on Petersburgh Road on August 24 last year.
Mr Robinson, who had been visiting a friend, said he cycled past the yellow van, which had been stationary at the kerb with its engine running.
As he cycled along the one-way street, he heard the van accelerating behind him, with the driver rapidly changing gears.
He told the court that he had been alarmed and kept glancing behind him as the vehicle got nearer and nearer.
He then stopped his bike to remonstrate with the driver, who after asking him what the problem was, began to "mouth off" at him.
Mr Robinson cycled on, but said Gillatt pursued him along the road, deliberately intimidating him by getting within a foot of his rear wheel.
He said he spotted a gap in a line of parked cars to his left, and aimed for it, intending to get out of the way.
Before he did so, the van hit his bike, and he found himself sprawling in the road, the court heard.
He staggered to his feet to find the bike badly damaged, and Gillatt after giving him the V-sign through his window, sped off.
The driver later went to Stockport Police Station to report the incident, complaining that the cyclist was to blame.
In court he denied driving too fast, or getting too close to Mr Robinson, and alleged it had been the cyclist who had been enraged, and begun swearing at him.
Prosecutor Mr Leeming put it to him: "If he was effing and jeffing, what had happened to make him behave in this way?"
Gillatt replied: "Maybe he was having a bad day, I don't know."
Mr Leeming said: "You anticipated that he would report the accident, which is why you went to the police station, isn't it?"
Gillatt replied: "It crossed my mind, yeah."
A witness who was walking with her small children along Petersburgh Road at the time, dialled 999 to contact police, telling the emergency services operator: "The van smashed right into him and drove off. It actually swerved to hit him on purpose."
Gillatt, who pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving, will be sentenced at Minshull Street Crown Court on Friday September 10.
