Updated: Violent assault on London cyclist captured on film

As a serving cop in Northumbria (way up north where it's cold) I have to admit it's embarassing for us who do our job properly. Gone are the days of Gene Hunt and his crew, shame really.
Lets hope we catch them !

its just a very sad indictment of this country the police and government that this situation has been allowed to happen all we can hope is that someone somewhere has the balls to actually do something about it

Given the screen shot from the video is the driver (you see him getting back in to the car via the drivers door), perhaps the police would like to find someone who drives without insurance, and is clearly a danger to other road users?

Failing that, contact the DVLA for an address to settle the matter "out of court".

Perhaps if you suggested that to the police, they may be forced to actually act on the matter. I hate it when the police do this, I was knocked off my motorbike by a lorry on the A406 several years ago. The policeman at the time told me that there are plenty of camera's on that road so they can catch him. Then a few weeks later the police sent me a letter stating there wasn't enough evidence and the matter was closed - road safety isn't something police car about at all until someone dies, unfortunately.

Is the victim from the political constituency where this happened? If so get the local MP involved. Even if it's not his constituency I'd still suggest getting in touch with an MP. This is a valid and effective route to applying pressure to the police.

The car was not stolen so if the driver, who committed the assault, was not the registered keeper then the vehicle was being driven with the permission of the registered keeper. This being the case, the police are obliged to ask the keeper if the driver was insured to use the vehicle. If not, then the keeper has committed an offence of allowing an uninsured driver to use the vehicle. The only way the keeper of the vehicle can prove to the police that the vehicle driver (who committed the assault) was insured is to release the name of the person to the police. If the vehicle keeper refuses to do this it can be assumed that the driver was uninsured and the police can charge the keeper with allowing an uninsured driver to use the vehicle. This offence would be worth three-six points on the keeper's licence, though perhaps some of the serving officers who commented earlier can clarify that.

The victim of this assault should press the point with the police. If the vehicle keeper won't divulge the name of the person committing the assault, then the offence of allowing someone to drive the car without insurance should be made against the keeper. It is a lesser offence than the assault but will leave the vehicle keeper with a fine, much higher insurance premiums and will ensure the person does not lend the vehicle to the same person again. Sometimes a round-about route to justice is the only way forward.

I have a short haircut and sometimes wear white shirts but at least I don't live in Bexley!

Sadly doesn't surprise me. Went to my local police station last night to report a disability related hate crime "not a police matter" was the response. Do people realise that only one in twenty crimes are prosecuted? Our previous government passed loads of new legislation the police aren't prepared to uphold it.

OldRidgeback - completely agree after all Al Capone went to prison for tax evasion.

I hope this gent is alright. Living all over the place I can tell you that these idiots exist everywhere and unfortunately even if you're a safe, respectful rider there will always be occasions like this. Watching this footage has really made me upset with the relationship between cyclists and drivers. The police are an embarrasment.

Everyone who sees this should forward/tweet it on to any journalists that they have contact details for. This is NOT acceptable for the police to just shrug off.

OldRidgeback - "at least I don't live in Bexley" - to be honest, with that attitude I'm kind of glad you don't

As said before - this happens all over London, there are knuckledragging types everywhere. Don't dismiss an entire borough on the basis of the actions of a few idiots

If anyone does have any evidence of the owener/registered address for this vehicle I suggest they share it - not for people like us to go and try and make things right of course but for the police, as a bit of a help. They need it.

"OldRidgeback - "at least I don't live in Bexley" - to be honest, with that attitude I'm kind of glad you don't"

I tried to make fun of my own post, seeing as some people took objection to it. Perhaps it wasn't the most balanced thing I've ever written but then I didn't expect a call to arms from the people of Bexley. Nope I don't live in Bexley. I know people who do and have been there a few times.

I note you didn't comment on my suggestion that the police could quite easily charge the vehicle owner with an offence, which I thought was rather more important to this thread anyway.

Lets face it - he'll get nothing.
Hope he broke his hand on the fella's helmet.
I think the best option is to carry a pepper spray or something similar as self defence, far too many of these hooligans about.
Personally I avoid any traffic and try to stick to country lanes, there is a serious lack of respect and understanding of the basic rules of the road from a large proportion of drivers in this country.

OldRidgeback

OldRidgeback

You're right enough, I didn't comment on your point about the Police charging the owner of the vehicle and - unsurprisingly given my earlier posts - I agree with you, despite the snidey implication I somehow chose to ignore it. And yes, that particular point was far more important to the thread which is why the stupid comments about Bexley were irritating and unnecessary to begin with. Hardly a call to arms, but I'm not going to apologise for liking the place I live in and defending it when someone reduces it to a stereotype

Sarcasm vs snide - not worth debating maybe. Maybe one of the reasons I made that comment is that some of the people I know in Bexley have less than wholesome attitudes towards immigration and race. But if you like the place you're welcome to it! See that exclamation mark? It means something.

Back to the point though and what this thread should be about before we got sidetracked - I'd be curious what the two serving cops who posted earlier in the thread have to say regarding my point on vehicle insurance. If the vehicle owner can't prove that the driver had insurance, then the vehicle owner cannot prove that hs or she is not guilty of an offence. And the only way to reveal whether the vehicle driver had insurance is to reveal the person's name.

Video evidence of reasonable quality and a vehicle registration plate should be enough to start with for Bexley's hard-pressed CID. Maybe I'm missing something on the crime torn streets of Bexley I don't know about that means the cops are struggling with their workload?

Interesting debate going on here. I just cycled London to Paris in under 24 hours and the treatment of our group by French motorists was stunning. People stopped on roundabouts to let us pass. They overtook right on the other side of the road and only when completely safe to do so. In Kent we had someone overtake us and then immediately turn left directly infront of us!!

Even in Paris the motorists (all vehicles!) were patient, safe and did not blare horns or shout at us (except encouragement and support).

We have a lot to learn here!!

Glad you're ok. Here's hoping you get it on Crime Watch. I wasn't surprised to see the widest BBC coverage of the TDF so far this year was Flecha getting side swiped by a car. I can imagine it being a popular clip amongst a certain small group of drivers and given the absence of damage to the car I wonder if it may increase careless driving.... Better to nudge someone who may have a helmet cam into the ditch than stop and have a fight will be the thought crawling through certain tiny minds.

And they wonder why we tend ride in groups...

Just had a message back from one of the local papers here, they're going to run the story with a mug shot to see if anyone recognises the guy

Evening Standard have run the story http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23969106-road-rage-caught... but for the record, I am NOT "angry" with the Police. That is possibly a newspaper having a go at the Met. I am disappointed that they have not found the guys yet, but angry with them?, no.

BBC will also be running it later today!

If everyone who reads this can make a charity donation then some good may come out of it after all - a kind of Karma!

http://www.bmycharity.com/L2P24

I wonder if the fella in the Peugeot had a day job driving the France TV Citroen in the Tour a couple of days ago?

If you injure/kill a dog, you must report it. If however you do the same to a cat, there is no legal requirement to do so. Are the police regarding cyclists like cats, and drivers like dogs?

The BBC London news clip is now on the BBC's website. The registration number of the the car has, however, been digitally obscured. One can only assume that this was removed to 'protect' the 'innocent'. It's a funny old world.

They're probably trying to protect the unfortunate owner of the car - once people realise he's in the habit of leaving the car unlocked with the keys in the ignition, everyone's just going to keep stealing his car, assaulting people, and then returning the car.

Great to see the story on the BBC and in the Standard, hope this leads to something positive soon. Shame about some of the (predictable) comments left after the Standard story but to be expected I guess...

Re all the questions about no insurance etc.

When someone commits an offence under the Road Traffic Act and the driver is not known then the Police can serve a form on the owner to say who the driver was or face prosecution for the offence themselves. This refers to the Road Traffic Act and NOT a criminal offence, as they are 2 seperate pieces of legislation.

The owner has been spoken to and claimed that the car had been taken with the keys in and returned later without their permission (a load of bull****) but without evidence to blow their story out of the water the Police haven't got a hope in hell to get this to court and past the CPS who will refuse to run the case. Everyone knows its rubbish but you cant blame the Police for CPS decisions.

Hope that clears the No Insurance debate.

While 'the Met', tries dream-up yet more feeble excuses not to trace 'punches like a girl', I feel absolutely convinced that had there been a compulsory helmet law for cyclists, they'd have been out there ticketing cyclists like crazy.

I can't help wondering if a TWOCed KJ56HGF has been seen parked in the local Freemasons' Hall car park.

Look at some of the comments on the evening standard site.. Just frightening, the attitude of some people.

These people can vote !?

..although not having been physically abused (yet!) by any driver...I did come close a few weeks ago.I'm living over in Ireland (for 11 years now)
Cycling in what can only be described as 'weather for ducks' I took exception to a driver of a Mitsubishi L200 warrior.
Having decided he was giving me 4 inches of room as he passed by me, on an empty road- where he could so easily have driven all the way over on the other side of it- he thought it great fun to have gone through a puddle at exactly the moment he passed.
What I can only describe as the feeling of having a bucket of cold dirty water thrown over my head...I wasn't best pleased...so I let go with a few hand gestures.
Bam on go his brakes right in front of me, as he stops in the middle of the road. So I cycle past him and give him the evil eye. 10 seconds later he draws alongside me with his passenger window down and pointing, shouting abuse at me..now I'm a kick in the arse above 5 ft 3" and not what you could call 'intimidating'...so I just let go (in my native Glaswegian accent)...come on then pull over- maybe not a wise choice of words or actions. Maybe it was the Saltire Buff (FREEEEEEEEDOM!) I had around my neck..but he drove off and left me alone. So I have his reg no. but I know it'd be my word against his as to what 'actually' happened..and I accept that, the Gardai here wouldn't run from ther station if it was on fire....
Now the case in point here for the cyclsit that was assaulted- he did not give any form of abuse to the driver (according to stated on here- so it was an unprovoked attack). The owner of the car states that the car was 'taken without his consent', but must have been returned by a 'good samaritan'. The video evidence, I'm presuming proves that it was not the owner of the car, or that he was in the vicinity or had been involved at the time of the assault. Therefore he cannot be charged with 'knowingly allowing an uninsured person' access to his car. It appears the police do not want to burn any calories trying to find the 3rd party. So there is really not a lot that can be done legally.
I'm not sure if insurance laws are the same in UK as they are in Ireland. The victim could try claiming against the insured driver's policy for injuries received...and costs would be met by an insurance bureau. This would then presumably find it's way onto the owner's premium at his next renewal. so perhaps some slight financial recompense.
Or ...hire a PI to find the address of the owner and have some sort of surveillance set up to see if the assailant 'makes his way back to the scene of his original crime' of TWOC'ing... to perhaps find that he is actually known to the car owner, and hence the owner and assailant could both be charged with a number of offences...

So when the person carrying out the assault is found and it turns out that the vehicle owner does know the offender then the vehicle owner will also be charged? It can't be long before the offender is caught.

OldRidgeback - In reality yes, they could be charged with obstruction but again it comes down to the willingness of the CPS to accept the charge and follow through the prosecution.
At one time the Police had the power to charge a punter but the CPS complained as they weren't hitting their targets for convictions so they and the Govt decided to change it and they make 99% of the decisions now as to who goes to court.
However this case is becoming high profile so the CPS might decide to run it just so that they can say they tried and if it falls at court they can always backpedal and blame the Police.