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news
Graham Pattison (picture via Cleveland Police)Drivers whose road rage row led to cyclist’s death both jailed for years
Two drivers whose road rage argument led to a crash in which a cyclist was killed have been handed hefty jail sentences at Teesside Crown Court today.
Paige Robinson, aged 24, and David Ferry, 47, had blamed each other for the crash in July 2020 in which cyclist Graham Pattison, 49 (pictured above), lost his life.
Both were convicted last month of causing the father-of-two’s death through dangerous driving, with a jury taking less than three hours to return its verdicts.
> Two feuding drivers convicted of causing cyclist’s death through dangerous driving
Judge Jonathan Carroll last month warned Robinson, a care assistant, and retired army officer Ferry that custodial sentences were “inevitable” and today he jailed them for seven years and nine months, and eight years, respectively, reports BBC News.
He said that Mr Pattison’s death had resulted from “this senseless, unnecessary and appalling dangerous driving.”
The judge added: “In Robinson’s case, egged on by her boyfriend who may not sit in the dock, but undoubtedly played a part. Ferry drove off but Robinson caught up with him.
“Both of you, oblivious to the ordinary rules of the road and to other road users, became caught up in dangerous driving.”
During their trial, the court heard that Mr Pattison was catapulted 40 metres when he was struck by Robinson in her Ford Fiesta at a speed of 70mph on the A689 between Wynyard and Sedgefield on 24 July 2020.
Before the crash, she had changed lanes in front of Ferry, who was driving an Audi TT. She claimed he had been gesticulating at her and had swerved towards her car, causing her to hit Mr Pattison, whom she claimed she had not seen.
Ferry, in his defence, claimed that that Robinson and her boyfriend, who was a passenger in her car, had been making gestures at him and that she was tailgating before the fatal crash.
Witness Trevor Smith, who gave evidence at their trial, said: “The white car [Robinson’s] was quite close to the black car – they were side by side. They seemed to be matching each other.
“The white car swerved to the left and it was a ‘speed wobble’ as if she was trying to get the car under control. The brake lights went on at that point.
“There was a cyclist in front of the white car. I can remember saying to my wife – ‘he’s going to get hit’. I was referring to the cyclist.
“I was braking very hard; I was worried the cyclist might land in front of my car.
“At first I thought the cyclist was going to go under the vehicle, but instead he bounced up onto the bonnet, onto the windscreen then quite high into the air and into the verge,” he added.
Speaking after the jury returned the guilty verdicts last month, Sergeant Catherine Iley of Cleveland Police commented: “The offenders blamed each other for the collision which took Mr Pattison’s life but, as the court heard, their actions had catastrophic consequences.
“Myself and my team would like to thank all those involved in assisting at the scene, in what were extremely harrowing circumstances.”
She added: “Mr Pattison was a beloved husband, father and son and our thoughts are with his family and friends today.”
Following his death, Mr Pattison’s family said in a statement released via the force: “Graham was a dearly loved husband, father and son.
“We are in shock at his loss and our lives will never be the same without him.”
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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15 comments
As others have said, no mention of a ban. No one convicted of such an offense should ever be allowed to drive again. It's not harsh - lots of people get on with their lives without ever driving. It is however logical and sensible, and, I would argue, the responsability of the justice system to protect the general public from people who represent a danger to them.
It's not enough.... It's really not enough.
Eight years (out in three or four?) is not enough to deter people from treating the roads as their own entitled space. This sentence will not make anyone 'think' about their actions.
My heart goes out to the family of the deceased.
Heavy sentences don't deter. Do you think it would have crossed the minds of these two drivers that they might kill someone and be sentenced to eight years?
Agree - we need lots of sentences, not bigger sentences - tempting to celebrate the law occasionally "taking it seriously" though it is. And (sure it's coming in the big road safety review) an effective method of stopping people who don't give a toss from driving - and add these two to the list.
Broken record - separation of modes, making driving less casual / "everyday", increasing the probability and speed of enforcement, removing the "entitlement" (it's a right!)...
To be fair, although they will be out in 4, the next 4 they are on parole and subject to recall. Although like most things, the parole service has gone to pot, that's another 4 years of being regularly reminded that they are criminals and being watched. I would think any episodes of driving incidents while on parole would get a very dim view from the courts.
Similarly, a suspended sentence is not entirely scot free - the offender has the joy of a parole officer supervising them, so again, they don't get to forget.
Myself, I have to believe that criminals are redeemable and suspect that beyond a handful of years, longer sentences probably make little difference.
I'm in two minds on bans - I think we do need to move towards "licence as a privilege" in sentencing as opposed to the current "licence is a right" feel we have today, but I understand that as we have engineered a world where the alternatives to cars are simply not there in many areas, it is potentially disproportionate to impose a lifetime loss of earnings though mobility, especially as it affects the poorer more than the rich.
Overall, in driving, consequences of actions rarely seem to be a factor, how many people speed with 9 points on their licence, so deterrence does seem poor in driving - it's not sentences, it's detection. That is the risk people are assessing. Better road supervision means better compliance - average speed cameras being one of the most compliant-inducing technologies we have, as an example (by my observation).
I agree up to a point but if you kill someone through reckless driving I don't care how much that impacts your life going forwards, you should be banned for life.
12 points shouldn't mean a lifetime ban but they should 100% be dishing out severe punishments if you accumulate X number of points due to dangerous driving. If you are repeatedly caught doing things that are likely to eventually result in someones death then you lose all rights to drive a care forever.
Its pretty simple. Your right to freely drive a car and enjoy the freedom that gives does not trump someone elses right to live.
"Your right to freely drive" / "freedom" - there's the issue. This is hugely oversold by culture and especially advertising. You can acquire a licence to drive a motor vehicle. Under certain conditions e.g. age, health (some reasons here). You don't get to drive any vehicle - there are further conditions there. This is (or rather legally is) contingent on you driving in accordance with other conditions.
For quite a lot of people though the "regulation of activity for safety" idea is also entangled with "they can't stop me / won't let the authorities suppress my rights". Sadly even if they were trying to keep you down (think women driving in Saudi Arabia, for example) it still doesn't stop driving being an inherently hazardous activity because humans which needs regulated for the good of all.
8 years and almost 8 years, which, as we all know, means they'll be out in four years.
But no mention of a ban. Does that mean they'll be back on the roads to kill more people in four years time?
Ban for the duration of the sentences, to also include any early release. So 7 and 8 years, no mention of a ban for life I'm afraid.
I suspect the rage they had was about Cycling Mikey reporting bad driving.
Condolences to Graham Pattison's family. I hope the fact that these two have received substantial sentences for the damage they did will be a tiny crumb of comfort.
Maybe Jake Wallis Simons would like to explain how the cyclist was supposed to defuse that situation? It doesn't matter whether the drivers are enraged by the cyclist or not; the cyclists still pay the price. Let's get the emotionally unsuitable drivers off the road, never mind tugging the cyclist forelock, that way we'll all be safer.
A "1" in front of both sentences would have been appropriate.
I'm actually surprised it was that high for both of them.
It's likely the speeds and the aggravating factor of them racing / whatever each other
think max is 14 but it's difficult to get that high for a first offence, even if neither pleads guilty.
out in half if they behave.
there really should be a lifetime ban from driving in there. Absolutely no way they can ever be trusted with tons of metal ever again.
Definitely agree with that. But at least it's a small step in the right direction compared with the usual slaps on wrists handed out.
I really hope they can't cope with prison and they both end up dead before they can harm anyone else.