Convicted of Dangerous Cycling...

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/7496757.stm

The father of a 17-year-old girl who was fatally injured in a collision with a cyclist has said it is "laughable" the man has only been fined.
Mick Bennett said Jason Howard should have faced manslaughter charges and been jailed for several years over Rhiannon Bennett's death in April 2007.
Howard was an "arrogant and vile little man", Mr Bennett said outside court.
Howard, 36, of Buckingham, was fined £2,200 on Tuesday after being convicted of dangerous cycling in the town.
During Howard's trial, Aylesbury magistrates heard Howard had shouted at Rhiannon to "move because I'm not stopping" before crashing into her.
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I think many people would say perhaps that law needs looking at
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Sgt Dominic Mahon, Thames Valley Police


Rhiannon died six days after hitting her head on the pavement as a result of the collision in Verney Close.
Following the verdict, Mr Bennett said: "It's laughable - when we first heard about this we thought it would be manslaughter, or perhaps even murder, but this is Britain.
"He is an arrogant, vile little man."
Rhiannon's mother, Maureen, said: "Words cannot express how broken-hearted we are as a family.
"My daughter ended up dying for him having a bike ride."
Sgt Dominic Mahon, of Thames Valley Police, told the BBC Howard could have been travelling at about 17mph when he struck Rhiannon, "imparting a great deal of force" on her.
On Monday, the court heard Howard could have swerved to the right of the group and avoided the collision.
Law change
But Sgt Mahon said he stayed on a "straight course" towards the group because he had thought he could get through a gap he saw between Rhiannon and her friends.
However, it seems Rhiannon moved in to the gap at the last second and was struck by the bike.
It was unclear in court as to whether she was still in the road or on the pavement when the collision happened.
"We think Rhiannon was probably a few inches, or a foot, in to the road and then she moved towards the pavement," said Sgt Mahon.
He said he could understand why her family would want to see the law changed.
"It would be almost impossible for them to see this as a proper outcome, considering the loss they've suffered, so I certainly understand how they feel," Sgt Mahon said.
"That's the law as it stands and I think many people would say perhaps that law needs looking at."
 
Cyclist made a poor decision, but they were walking in the road by the sounds of it. He shouted to make them aware of his presence, and they stayed in the road??

Hmm, bad decison making by both parties! Shame the girl died, but the cyclist is not exactly a cold blooded killer!

Even if he had intended to ride straight into her, which is (lets face it) very unlikely he never would have believed he would kill anyone, he would be far more likely to seriously injure himself!
 
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Sorry but that's ridiculous... a "poor decision"? lol. Anyone who rides into a young girl knowing full well that he could stop if he wanted to deserves no less than a severe sentence. While the intent was not to murder, he must have known that by hitting her there was a real chance he could cause her harm. Scumbag.
 
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Sorry but that's ridiculous... anyone who rides into a young girl knowing full well that he could stop if he wanted to deserves no less than a severe sentence. While the intent was not to murder, he must have known that by hitting her there was a real chance he could cause her harm. Scumbag.


Unfortunately ive come across this sort of person before. I want to go this way, and will do anything in my power to go that way, including injuring people because i want my own way

My experience was in a grave yard. Obviously being a grave yard, there were lots of roads weaving in and out of the grave stones, but each only being about 1 car wide. Its quite common for people to park down these lanes, as theres only 1 car park and it doesnt have many spots. Everybody else just parks where they can. However, this idiot decided he wanted to leave the graveyard by the road that i was parked in. He drove inches up to my bumper than started beeping his horn. I went over and explained he could leave anyway he wanted, and just to choose another exit. He was in his 60, with a wife the same age and i presume son/daughter in the back in their 30s/40s. He started going off on one and demanding i move as this was the only way i could leave. When i refused and told him to take the next road along (there were similar paths out not 25m to the left and to the right) he revved his engine and tryed to start pushing my car.

I ran off to get a witness to this idiot, and when she came over and told him to grow up he reversed and told me i should claim for the any damage to the car. He got all sheepish, we demanded his insurance details to which he refused to give and finally reversed and took another path that he had just spent 20 minutes arguing he couldnt do.

He sounds like exactly this sort of person to me. Scumbag.
 
On GMTV this morning they said that the cyclist rode into them on purpose and that he had about 300 yards to stop but yelled "Get out of my way Im not going to stop"

The bloke is a scumbag and deserved to do time.
 
Even if the girl was in the road and 100% in the wrong it takes a sick person to actively plough into a 17yr old girl on a bicycle, regardless if they have shouted out or not. He should have stopped or gone around her.
 
He had time to yell out but not think about stopping? Seems like the typical London motorist with a chip on their shoulder who thinks the world owes them one for being a cyclist.

Deserved to be locked up IMHO.

I've seen motorist like this too, you know you're crossing the road, the car driver can see you're there but then speeds up towards you, always wondered what exactly the point of this was?
 
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She walked infront of him at the last second after he'd shouted in advance that he was coming? Yeah it's stupid of him not to just brake or try and avoid them completely, but she's more than a little responsible.
 
Doh Surely if he crashes into someone hes also going to be lying on the pavement in a lot of pain.

People like this do my head in
 
She walked infront of him at the last second after he'd shouted in advance that he was coming? Yeah it's stupid of him not to just brake or try and avoid them completely, but she's more than a little responsible.


On Monday, the court heard Howard could have swerved to the right of the group and avoided the collision.

But Sgt Mahon said he stayed on a "straight course" towards the group because he had thought he could get through a gap he saw between Rhiannon and her friends.

He ploughed into a group at full speed trying to get through a small gap in them... shouting that he wasn't going to stop and without slowing down? Yeah, very defensible, the girl is clearly to blame.
 
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She walked infront of him at the last second after he'd shouted in advance that he was coming? Yeah it's stupid of him not to just brake or try and avoid them completely, but she's more than a little responsible.
Crikey! this is a very bad situation. Expect more due to the fact there are cycle paths on pavements usually on streets in busy shopping areas/centres ?
 
you dont shout "MOVE BECAUSE IM NOT STOPPING" to somebody who isnt in the way, mate. if he had time to shout, he had time to stop.

Yeah and like it also said she was moving towards the pavement, only a foot away! so hes the idiot for not just noticing she was moving towards the pavement and should have gone round her or atleast stopped! They should have thrown the book at him.
 
He ploughed into a group at full speed trying to get through a small gap in them... shouting that he wasn't going to stop and without slowing down? Yeah, very defensible, the girl is clearly to blame.

Show me where it says it was a small gap? Or that he "ploughed into a group", he hit one girl. I condemn him for not slowing, stopping or swerving to avoid them, but on the flipside the girl very obviously shares some responsibility for this for walking in the road after being made aware of the fact that the cyclist was coming and stepping infront of him at the last second.
 
So let me get this straight:

He was on the footpath and she and her friend were spread across the footpath and the slightly onto the road.

He aimed for the gap between her mates on the footpath and her on the road.

She stepped onto the footpath and he cycled into her.

He's an idiot. I see more and more cyclists around when I'm riding home from work, and that's a good thing, but they are all on the bloody footpasth and it just winds me up. That bloke should be locked up and all cyclists who go on the footpath should be fined, it's just dumb.
 
[DOD]Asprilla;12053380 said:
So let me get this straight:

He was on the footpath and she and her friend were spread across the footpath and the slightly onto the road.

He aimed for the gap between her mates on the footpath and her on the road.

She stepped onto the footpath and he cycled into her.

He's an idiot. I see more and more cyclists around when I'm riding home from work, and that's a good thing, but they are all on the bloody footpasth and it just winds me up. That bloke should be locked up and all cyclists who go on the footpath should be fined, it's just dumb.

My thoughts exactly, if you cant ride where you are ment to, then dont ride at all.
 
I misread, I thought she and her friends were crossing the road he was cycling on.
Regarding footpaths though all the pavements near me are signposted dual use for cyclists and pedestrians.
 
[DOD]Asprilla;12053380 said:
So let me get this straight:

He was on the footpath and she and her friend were spread across the footpath and the slightly onto the road.

He aimed for the gap between her mates on the footpath and her on the road.

She stepped onto the footpath and he cycled into her.

He's an idiot. I see more and more cyclists around when I'm riding home from work, and that's a good thing, but they are all on the bloody footpasth and it just winds me up. That bloke should be locked up and all cyclists who go on the footpath should be fined, it's just dumb.

Nah the story says she was just about to get onto the path when he hit her, so he was on the road? Or am i reading it wrong?
 
About time they started enforcing the rules of the road and responsibility for consequences on to cyclists. They should have to be insured.
 
Nah the story says she was just about to get onto the path when he hit her, so he was on the road? Or am i reading it wrong?

BBC Article said:
She said: "He shouted a warning. There's no need to shout a warning. He's on his bicycle, he should have veered round them but even on impact with Rhiannon, he didn't even brake.

"He was on the footpath, where she should have been safe."

I'm taking that to mean he was on the footpath.

Edit - just seen he was fined £2,500 and is bike cost £4,750. Crazy.
 
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