Taxi driver fined £35 with 3 points on his licence after cyclist killed in collision

If you accidentally kill someone with your car, it should be manslaughter. Same as if you accidentally shot them while cleaning your gun. If intent is determined, then it should be murder.

Martin Porter has written about this in his blog. There's a comment that appears to be from the victim's mum, and one from his aunt.

http://thecyclingsilk.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/update-from-court-cps-v-bha...

to quote the comment

The fact that the driver has not been able to drive since and has issued a statement of remorse to the family is all the justice we need to try to put this horrible aspect behind us, and for friends and family to continue in our private grief for our precious Tom. If others wish to continue to push for a change in legal processes, that is for them to do and is fine. But our loss is not helped at all by persuing a higher fine or penalty.

This seems to be a recurring theme, the relatives accepting the courts results, which have provoked outrage in others. To me the problem seems bigger than the family of the victim though. By issuing leniant punishment, the court has failed in its duty to discourage wrong doing (and hitting a cyclist while driving a vehicle *is* wrong, no matter whether you intended it or not).

The court should send a message that hitting vulnerable road users is serious and if drivers don't take the necessary care, then they will be punished severely. In this case the court did not send that message and the relatives are in no moral position to forgive and forget. The mother's loss is tragic and although her son can't be hurt any more, there are thousands of other cyclists who can and will be victims of careless driving in the future.

Finally, I'd like to make it clear now that if anyone kills me while I'm on my bike then I'd like the courts to take them to the fucking cleaners - max sentence and then hounded by the press when they get out, none of this 'prison sentence not in the public interest' bollocks - I'd want the book thrown at them, followed by the printing press and the print works, brick by brick.

My BLOOD IS BOILING RIGHT NOW !!!! I give up on the police, make sure you have insurance with the CTC guys, where you can get assistance in the event of an accident/injury to claim against the driver

I wonder how the CPS and the judge would have charged/sentenced this grossly despicable waste of space, if the victim was related to law a enforcement officer, or a legal system operative. I hope this immigrant dies of shame!

utterly speechless , about time this country got its act together and started giving out proper punishments and giving help to those who need it most in society !! Its not the polices fault they do as much as they can.

words fail me

"While the level of charge brought was a disappointment to Mr Ridgway's family it is also worth noting that Solihull magistrates did not impose the maximum sentence available to them for the offence. According to the sentencing guidelines those found guilty of careless drive can be given 9 penalty points on their licence and a fine usually amounting to 150 per cent of the defendant's weekly income."

Truly truly shocking.

And the names of the magistrates in question are.....

Could be interesting to see what happens to Emma Way in court following her particular incident. Then the two can be compared.

Who wants to bet she receives a harsher punishment than 'Ichhapal'?

I've got my own opinions on this one, I don't think I'm going to be wrong either.

One thing that really needs looking at is how on earth a case that involves someone's death is heard in a Magistrates Court.

If this happened to a pedestrian instead of a cyclist there would be a much stiffer penalty handed out.

Unbelievable.

CPS? Not fit for purpose - Time to get rid of them

I have no words, other than to express my sympathy to the family of the victim in this case.
The remainder of this box 'would' be filled with as many swear words as I could muster in order to vent my anger at this 'sentence', the UK court system and it's inability to care for such victims.

It is a very sad outcome indeed!

I will be asking my MP to raise this appalling issue.
I have a vague recollection that in Holland, when a motorist hits a cyclist, it is automatically the driver's fault. I imagine that a rule like that would change driver's attitudes and may engender a perception that cyclists are vulnerable.

Utterly atrocious decision both at the start with the CPS decision and afterwards with the court result.

Going to add this link to my facebook page so more people are aware of how bad these decisions are.

MP letter send.....its the only way we'll get change.

MP written too with a link to this.

Please write to them! if every MP gets an email, and another, and another... Maybe we can start to change the system.

I got tagged by a brave policeman hiding behind a wall in a country town doing just over 30 in a 30 mph zone (driving carefully, well-maintained vehicle recently serviced, new tyres, no furry toys hanging from the rear view mirror or a fucking Sat Nav stuck in the middle of the windscreen to obscure eyeline), and I have to pay 100 quid to do a speed awareness course. You kill a cyclist and it's 35 quid fine. Did this man have a valid licence? I see he's only given up his taxi licence.

I feel a little bit sick.
if I'm unfortunate to get taken out by a box dweller and they get a slap on the wrists my life insurance is to be used to hire a team of ninja assassins.

In mitigation the court was told that Mr Bhamra has since voluntarily given up his taxi licence and that he suffers from post traumatic stress disorder and no longer felt able to drive.

He may have handed his taxi licence back BUT NOT his driving licence To me this is just a load of BS generated by his legal team to get HIM off.

I hope that the family of the victim appeal the sentence and get some real justice I know this will not bring him back but, maybe this could be used as a campaign vehicle to change the law. In the past such things like Sarah's law etc have come about so that somebodies tragedy can be used to stop these things happening in the future

To compound the sense of injustice I saw this as I logged out of my webmail:

Quote:

As many as 2 million drivers could face £1,000 fines for failing to update the photo on their driving licence, according to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/two-million-drivers-may-face-141603133....

£1,000 for not updating your photo for Big Brother to keep tabs on you, £35 for killing someone and dragging the body down the road. F**k me!

again! really, we need lots more cyclists friendly magistrates!

"No longer felt able to drive"? I should damn well think so.

Keep sharing this information....post to facebook, twitter and tell people...it simply cannot continue like this...

Another example of the namby pamby UK Court system, if this was in France, Belgium or Spain they would of locked him up...the countries going to the dogs..

Un***king believable!
Really makes me feel safe on the roads when they are actively encouraging dangerous drivers.

Jail the magistrates, public menaces