Prison for shouting at cyclist.

Jono111

I can't link the story but it is on the bbc news page. Woman shouts at a cyclist approaching her on the pavement, the cyclist swerves onto the road a gets run over and dies. The pedestrian has now been sentenced to prison for manslaughter. There is video of it so there is no question of what happened. 
Does anyone else think it seems a bit excessive or is it just me.

Edited to say my wife thinks she probably pushed the cyclist just out of the picture, so probably at fault.

Sassafras

She didn't just shout. It looked like she practically knocked her off the bike.

Brio

Did you not read the story or look at the video?

Stratavarious

The one where the woman screams abuse at a 77 year old retired midwife cyclist using a ‘shared cycleway’, blocks her way with her arm forcing the cyclist to crash while trying to avoid her arm thus forcing the cyclist to fall into the path of a car which then runs her over and kills her before the woman walks away to buy some groceries in Sainsbury’s, leaving the dead cyclist in the road?

That one?

I think it hinges on the designation of the shared cycleway. 

Not walking away after causing a death may not have helped her case, along with being dishonest about the facts in interview and showing no remorse.

I’d let the cyclist’s family loose on the entitled bitch myself with assorted gardening implements and a blowtorch, speaking for myself.

Jonathangus

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-64824436.am

skunkwerx

Hmm. 

I just watched it. 

I think people just need to calm down. 

So in the video you can see the pedestrian could, but doesnt leave space. Whether she ‘had’ to or not I don’t know, but the cyclist, a 77 year old woman didn’t look to be hogging or coming at her in a threatening or dangerous manner. 

I thought it technically illegal to be riding on pavement, but that goes for all types of things, scooters etc, and the Uk is lenient which I feel is a good thing. Long as the cyclist is being careful and safe. 

I have no idea if the pedestrians actions afterward could have made a difference but the fact the pedestrian witnessed the cyclist being run down and then left before the emergency services turned up who
pronounced her dead, and fact she showed no remorse for what happened until her sentence kinda comes across like she is a plain asshole. 

No idea about the legalities of it, but from reading the article, the pedestrian really didnt have to do what she did, she chose to intimidate an elderly person aggressively. 

I remember being shouted at when I was a child by people like this when riding my bike, its intimidating and I was left thinking wow, why are they so angry at me when I’m being safe, I’m not causing any harm at all.

If the cyclist was being a dick then I’d feel less on their side but as it is, I think the pedestrian was a dick and I’m thinking if that cyclist was my old mum then, no I dont think 2 years in jail is excessive.

RaymondLin

One thing to remember is that the pedestrian is facing the traffic, she can see cars coming when she was waving her hand and shouting abuse at the cyclist.

She could see the danger, the cyclist could not.

crunchman

skunkwerx said:

Hmm. 

I just watched it. 

I think people just need to calm down. 

So in the video you can see the pedestrian could, but doesnt leave space. Whether she ‘had’ to or not I don’t know, but the cyclist, a 77 year old woman didn’t look to be hogging or coming at her in a threatening or dangerous manner. 

I thought it technically illegal to be riding on pavement, but that goes for all types of things, scooters etc, and the Uk is lenient which I feel is a good thing. Long as the cyclist is being careful and safe. 

I have no idea if the pedestrians actions afterward could have made a difference but the fact the pedestrian witnessed the cyclist being run down and then left before the emergency services turned up who
pronounced her dead, and fact she showed no remorse for what happened until her sentence kinda comes across like she is a plain asshole. 

No idea about the legalities of it, but from reading the article, the pedestrian really didnt have to do what she did, she chose to intimidate an elderly person aggressively. 

I remember being shouted at when I was a child by people like this when riding my bike, its intimidating and I was left thinking wow, why are they so angry at me when I’m being safe, I’m not causing any harm at all.

If the cyclist was being a dick then I’d feel less on their side but as it is, I think the pedestrian was a dick and I’m thinking if that cyclist was my old mum then, no I dont think 2 years in jail is excessive.

Not here for the bit I've bolded.  It's officially designated as a shared use path.

ThePrettyDamned

This is the most reductive thread title I've seen for a while. Would recommend viewing the footage and reading the article.

I know that road, I'm reasonably sure it's a shared cycle/footpath on the ring road, and deliberately wide to accommodate this. 

Jono111

That's odd, in the story I read earlier the judge said there was no proof it was a shared use pavement. Still yes she was wrong. 

TeleMaster

The woman caused the cyclist to crash. Even if she just shouted and it caused such a shock they lost control and died because of it. Prison still seems reasonable based on the law.

ICBM

Jono111 said:

Edited to say my wife thinks she probably pushed the cyclist just out of the picture, so probably at fault.

I think so too, or if not deliberately pushed then there was probably some contact. If you move the video frame by frame you can see that the cyclist starts to topple well before the front wheel goes over the edge of the kerb, just as the forks reach the sign post in the picture. At that exact point the pedestrian is lunging towards the cyclist with her right foot off the ground.

Regardless of the rights and wrongs of riding on the pavement it does look like the jury thought the same.

m_c

There seems to be some ambiguity over whether that specific section is just a pavement, or shared use, and the police even stated that in the trial, however even if the cyclist was technically breaking the law, it doesn't excuse the behaviour of the woman.

Danny1969

Entitled bully of a women causes the completely unnecessary death of a fellow human being ... sad all round but I've no sympathy for her. She likes a bit of bullying so is going to the right place.     

DefaultM

It says her shouting and waving caused her to fall in to the path of a car, so yeah get in prison. You can see she’s being a right dickhead in the video, I didn’t know the rest about just walking off as well. 

I think a lot of people get mildly annoyed by cyclists, but some are really aggressive and weird about them. The first time I met one of my wife’s relatives she told me that when she’s in her car she wishes she could just run them over. I hadn’t brought up cycling or bikes or anything. I can’t even ride a bike, and I’ve no desire to after hearing that.

Sporky

Perhaps the judge and jury carefully considered much more detailed evidence than has been presented via the media.

Perhaps. 

DrCornelius

She will get off on appeal , mark my words . I’ve just read the full article and she has cerebral palsy and is partially sighted . I’m pretty sure cerebral palsy can also cause depth perception issues and cognitive impairment too - all traits that a good lawyer will argue contributed to her being unaware of the danger she was putting the cyclist in.

PhilW1

You gotta feel for the poor driver too,must have been  horrific and it will scar them for the rest of their life I imagine.

Devil#20

DrCornelius said:

She will get off on appeal , mark my words . I’ve just read the full article and she has cerebral palsy and is partially sighted . I’m pretty sure cerebral palsy can also cause depth perception issues and cognitive impairment too - all traits that a good lawyer will argue contributed to her being unaware of the danger she was putting the cyclist in.

Fair point but if she left the cyclist injured in the road to die, knowing she needed help, then she's a complete shit irrespective of who was at fault. You just don't do that to another human being. You wouldn't even do that to an animal in distress. There's some really savage people in this world and it bothers me. 

roberty

The video is horrific. The article I read said it was shared use pedestrian/cycle path because that interchange is too dangerous for bikes to be on the road. Don't be a cunt is the moral of this story 

littlegreenman

Walked off afterwards, did her grocery shopping and went home. So even if this was a tragic "accident" not caused by this woman she still should have stayed around and waited for the police and other emergency services. Is that not "leaving the scene"?

"Oh, I didn't notice she had just been fatally run over immediately after falling into the road after our altercation"? Bollocks.

But yeah, cyclists...