Angry pedestrian jailed for cyclist death

[MTVN]

A "territorial" pedestrian whose actions killed a 77-year-old cyclist when she was angered by her being on the pavement has been jailed.

Auriol Grey, 49, shouted an expletive and gestured in an "aggressive way" towards Celia Ward, who fell into the path of a car in Huntingdon in 2020.

Peterborough Crown Court heard Grey "resented" the presence of the cyclist.

Grey, of Bradbury Place, Huntingdon, was jailed for three years after being convicted of manslaughter.

A trial heard the women passed each other in opposite directions on the pavement of the Cambridgeshire town's ring road, during the afternoon of 20 October.

The incident was captured on CCTV which included sound, and Grey could be heard shouting at Mrs Ward to "get off the [expletive] pavement".

Prosecutors said the defendant was "angered by the presence of a cyclist on a footpath" and gestured towards Mrs Ward, who fell into the path of a car.

Jurors heard the vehicle had "no chance to stop or take avoiding action" and Mrs Ward was pronounced dead at the scene.

Grey left prior to emergency services arriving and went to Sainsbury's where she bought groceries.

'Needless and senseless'
The trial was told that police could not "categorically" state whether the pavement was a shared cycleway.

Cambridgeshire County Council subsequently reiterated that and said it would review the location, but in his sentencing remarks Judge Sean Enright said it was a shared cycleway.

Sentencing Grey, Judge Enright said she was "territorial about the pavement" and "resented" the cyclist being there.

The trial heard Grey had cerebral palsy and was partially sighted, but the judge said: "These actions are not explained by disability."

He said that she had given a "dishonest account in interview" and there was "not a word about remorse until today".

Judge Enright added that "consideration of other road users is the lesson of this tragic case".

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

Tragic for the cyclist and the woman certainly sounds very unpleasant but is she really responsible for manslaughter? It's bizarre that the police can't state for sure whether it was a shared cycleway but it looks pretty narrow from the video. I don't think someone should be sentenced as responsible for another person's death for swearing at them and gesturing

[Alf]

It sounds a bit harsh to me.

[Niamh.]

Yeah it's a tough one, the woman was as you say aggressive and nasty but cyclists aren't supposed to be on the pavement either. It's a tough call, it doesn't look like there was any section of the pavement allocated to cyclists but the poor woman was right out on the edge and cycling pretty slow

[Crimson Dynamo]

Baffling decision

jail time?

:crazy:

[bots]

Seems like she was jailed for being unpleasant AND going to Sainsbury's, an unacceptable combination

[arista]

While That Reporter on the Link
Spoke, a Bike was also on the Pavement

So are bikes permitted on that pavement
is it shared?

[Niamh.]

While That Reporter on the Link
Spoke, a Bike was also on the Pavement

So are bikes permitted on that pavement
is it shared?

It doesn't look like it from the video but I don't know

[Crimson Dynamo]

In the BBC video as the reporter is speaking a guy on a bike at speed whizzes past her on the path?

[arista]

In the BBC video as the reporter is speaking a guy on a bike at speed whizzes past her on the path?


Yes,
he goes fast past her,

But it would need a white line down it
So each has a side

[MTVN]

^ Yeah I thought that was quite ironic

It's obviously a very busy road so probably should have a cycle lane but that pavement doesn't look suitable to be one. If the police can't establish whether it's a shared cycleway or not then you can't expect pedestrians to know. As the woman is disabled and partly sighted that would also make her more agitated at seeing a cyclist coming towards her

No excuse for pissing straight off to Sainsburys though :umm2:

[Jordan.]

Deserved longer. I highly doubt a 77 year old woman was driving manically on the pavement.

[arista]

Deserved longer. I highly doubt a 77 year old woman was driving manically on the pavement.


Yes, she was scared
of the Angry lady
so Turned Fast into the road.
Without looking - Just Like Presenter Dan Walker.


Better to get off your bike

[Beso]

Looked to me like the old lady wasnt fit enough to ride a bike.

[arista]

Looked to me like the old lady wasn't fit enough to ride a bike.

She was, but did not expect that Big Angry Women
getting her off the safe pavement

She was in a Panic, then turned fast into the road
(Her big error, not checking the traffic)


Best thing to do would have been to get off
the Bike walk past the angry lady
then get back on it.

[thesheriff443]

The woman being sentenced was partially sighted
On average 17 people a year in the uk get killed by being hit by a push bike
The person driving the car should take some of the blame because around the time of covid people were always stepping in the road to avoid another person walking on the path.

And why I’m saying about the driver is this, if an idiot slams on his brakes in front of you, and you hit him, it’s you that’s in the eyes of the law to blame

This is a sick decision in my opinion.

[arista]

The woman being sentenced was partially sighted
On average 17 people a year in the uk get killed by being hit by a push bike
The person driving the car should take some of the blame because around the time of covid people were always stepping in the road to avoid another person walking on the path.

And why I’m saying about the driver is this, if an idiot slams on his brakes in front of you, and you hit him, it’s you that’s in the eyes of the law to blame

This is a sick decision in my opinion.


No way
that Lady on her Bike turned very fast into the Road
Without Looking First



No way is the car driver wrong

[rusticgal]

Very tragic for the elderly lady and the Driver of the car. One is dead and the other scared for life.
Isnt it against the law for an adult to cycle on the pavement?....I dont really blame the woman for having a go at her especially as she possibly didnt see her coming until the last minute.
It does seem a bit severe...although her actions clearly caused her death but the woman should not have been cycling on the pavement as it seemed quite narrow and difficult for the pedestrians to pass...

[Crimson Dynamo]

For me the fault lies fairly and squarely on the local council for allowing fsst moving cyclists on a 5 foot wide path with pedestrians on a busy through road. Its negligence writ large.

[user104658]

Wait... She didn't physically touch her? She just aggressively shouted at her to move, and the lady got a fright and went/fell onto the road without looking?

:umm2: Absolutely bizarre decision. Yes it's a bit rude but I can't get my head around this being anything other than a tragic accident.

[user104658]

And I agree that cyclists shouldn't be on the pavement unless it's clearly split into a pedestrian lane and a cycle lane. So yeah either the cyclists are breaking the law by using it, OR it's been signposted as for cyclists and pedestrians by the council but isn't suitable.

There are plenty of (off the road) cycle tracks around here that are for both bikes and pedestrians but they're ALL signposted saying that cyclists should be aware of and slow down for pedestrians. I've never seen anything to suggest that a pedestrian could be at fault for causing a cyclist to fall off their bike by shouting. If they pushed them or jumped into their path or something then that would be different.

[bots]

And I agree that cyclists shouldn't be on the pavement unless it's clearly split into a pedestrian lane and a cycle lane. So yeah either the cyclists are breaking the law by using it, OR it's been signposted as for cyclists and pedestrians by the council but isn't suitable.

There are plenty of (off the road) cycle tracks around here that are for both bikes and pedestrians but they're ALL signposted saying that cyclists should be aware of and slow down for pedestrians. I've never seen anything to suggest that a pedestrian could be at fault for causing a cyclist to fall off their bike by shouting. If they pushed them or jumped into their path or something then that would be different.

i think it was the fact she sauntered off to Sainsbury that got her jailed, isn't that the same as fleeing the scene of an accident?

[arista]

Wait... She didn't physically touch her? She just aggressively shouted at her to move, and the lady got a fright and went/fell onto the road without looking?

:umm2: Absolutely bizarre decision. Yes it's a bit rude but I can't get my head around this being anything other than a tragic accident.


The Judge has No Notes on the Angry Ladies
mental health state.

So when she went onto get her shopping
that is typical of an Angry Autistic person


She had no medical specialist in court.


So the Judge viewed it
as it went down.
He sent her to Jail

[Crimson Dynamo]

i think it was the fact she sauntered off to sainsbury that got her jailed, isn't that the same as fleeing the scene of an accident?

she may not have taken the view she caused the accident, its not like she pushed her. Angry gesticulation isnt a crime?

[bots]

doesn't matter what her view is, you don't leave the scene unless you are a pretty cold hearted b'stard

[Crimson Dynamo]

doesn't matter what her view is, you don't leave the scene unless you are a pretty cold hearted b'stard

she is autistic so i doubt she felt any concern

[Crimson Dynamo]

Safe cycling

SIR – Your correspondent D F G Dobson (Letters, February 26) states that
when dual-use pavements are provided (for use by cyclists and pedestrians),
cyclists must use them. The Highway Code is quite clear on this. Rule 61
states: “While such facilities are provided for reasons of safety, cyclists may
exercise their judgment and are not obliged to use them.”

As a keen but cautious cyclist I am often more nervous when cycling on dual-
use pavements. Not only do I have to be careful around pedestrians, but I
also need to watch out for cars coming out of driveways, as well as for traffic
exiting or turning into side streets, which requires me to scan 360 degrees
at every junction with a minor road.

Far safer, in most circumstances, to simply cycle on the road.

Ian Thomson
Nantwich, Cheshire

SIR – Cyclists riding on pavements with impunity are a menace, but added to
that danger is the increasing number of riders wearing headphones.

I recently remonstrated with a cyclist who was wearing a pair of these as well
as a mask, while speeding along the pavement, by saying: “Why don’t you
go the whole hog and wear a blindfold?”

Needless to say, he couldn’t hear me.

Guy Bargery
Edinburgh

[Livia]

The cyclist who got and killed a pedestrian on a racing bike with no brakes got 18 months. Seems quite unfair.

[Beso]

Sounds like the judge took an instant dislike to her looks.

[MTVN]

Sounds like the judge took an instant dislike to her looks.

Genuinely might have played a part, who cares about justice for Mrs Trunchball

This part of the verdict is concerning:

The trial was told that police could not "categorically" state whether the pavement was a shared cycleway.

Cambridgeshire County Council subsequently reiterated that and said it would review the location, but in his sentencing remarks Judge Sean Enright said it was a shared cycleway

If neither the police nor the council can say it's a shared cycleway then how can the judge partly base her sentence on saying it was?

[rusticgal]

Genuinely might have played a part, who cares about justice for Mrs Trunchball

This part of the verdict is concerning:


If neither the police nor the council can say it's a shared cycleway then how can the judge partly base her sentence on saying it was?

That’s what I thought :nono:

[Denver]

i think it was the fact she sauntered off to Sainsbury that got her jailed, isn't that the same as fleeing the scene of an accident?

Yea she caused her death then went skipping along, disability doesn't give you the right to immunity from breaking the law

[Zizu]

Yea she caused her death then went skipping along, disability doesn't give you the right to immunity from breaking the law


Sounds like she shouldn’t be out by herself in the community


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[Crimson Dynamo]

Yea she caused her death then went skipping along, disability doesn't give you the right to immunity from breaking the law

what was the law she broke?

[Denver]

what was the law she broke?

Her actions caused a death, she is the one who is ultimately responsible for someone dying though therefore she is guilty for Manslaughter

[Beso]

Her actions caused a death, she is the one who is ultimately responsible for someone dying though therefore she is guilty for Manslaughter

The cyclist should have been aware enough to swerve left. She panicked because she knew she was in the wrong, making her swerve right into the road.

[Denver]

The cyclist should have been aware enough to swerve left. She panicked because she knew she was in the wrong, making her swerve right into the road.

No the women went to the other side of the pavement and waved her hands towards her leaving her no choice but to swerve into traffic, that woman had blood on her hands and I hope it haunts her for life

[Beso]

No the women went to the other side of the pavement and waved her hands towards her leaving her no choice but to swerve into traffic, that woman had blood on her hands and I hope it haunts her for life

Old womans brain wasnt quick enough to react to the waving hands warning of the mentally unstable women, confusing her mind into making a simple right turn, into a twisting left turn jerk. Her mind, It acted instead like a panicking child learning to ride.

[Denver]

Old womans brain wasnt quick enough to react to the waving hands warning of the mentally unstable women, confusing her mind into making a simple right turn, into a twisting left turn jerk. Her mind, It acted instead like a panicking child learning to ride.

Anybody on a bike would swerve when someone was deliberately coming towards them

[Crimson Dynamo]

Her actions caused a death, she is the one who is ultimately responsible for someone dying though therefore she is guilty for Manslaughter

no

you have no evidence to say that the old lady fell of her bike due to the actions of the lady

it may have been a bump in the path, a gust of wind, a glint from a car mirror or the ladys hand slipped on the handlebars

can you tell me what evidence suggests she fell off her bike due to the lady on the path?

[Beso]

Anybody on a bike would swerve when someone was deliberately coming towards them


A fit enough person to be riding on the unpredictable undulating modern day pavement would have swerved away from the road.

[Jordan.]

1Mo9HoC-5Zo

Looks like she raises her arm and shoves the the poor dear into the road just as she's walking off camera.

[Crimson Dynamo]

1Mo9HoC-5Zo

Looks like she raises her arm and shoves the the poor dear into the road just as she's walking off camera.

does not touch her. looks like the cyclist was heading straight for the disabled lady

[MTVN]

Actually does look like she pushes her at the end of that clip :skull: seems to be a tiny bit longer than the BBC one

[Crimson Dynamo]

Actually does look like she pushes her at the end of that clip :skull: seems to be a tiny bit longer than the BBC one

if so that would have been mentioned in the sentence and the sentence would have been much longer

[Jordan.]

https://imgur.com/Jk20SDR.gif

clear push on the side of her back after the bike was already passing her in a straight line shocking

[Niamh.]

https://imgur.com/Jk20SDR.gif



clear push on the side of her back after the bike was already passing her in a straight line shockingShame the camera is about a millisecond away from seeing if she makes contact with her or not

[AnnieK]

Its a tough one. If it were my mother who was the cyclist, I would be wanting a custodial sentance for the person who, for whatever reason, seemed to make her swerve into the path of a car. But if my mother was the pedestrian, I'd be thinking that she was right to be worried of an oncoming cyclist.

At the end of the day a woman has lost her life and another one is now in prison....no one wins, its all very sad

[Niamh.]

Its a tough one. If it were my mother who was the cyclist, I would be wanting a custodial sentance for the person who, for whatever reason, seemed to make her swerve into the path of a car. But if my mother was the pedestrian, I'd be thinking that she was right to be worried of an oncoming cyclist.

At the end of the day a woman has lost her life and another one is now in prison....no one wins, its all very sadYes I agree with that

[Crimson Dynamo]

Its a tough one. If it were my mother who was the cyclist, I would be wanting a custodial sentance for the person who, for whatever reason, seemed to make her swerve into the path of a car. But if my mother was the pedestrian, I'd be thinking that she was right to be worried of an oncoming cyclist.

At the end of the day a woman has lost her life and another one is now in prison....no one wins, its all very sad

"I would be wanting a custodial sentance for the person who, for whatever reason, seemed to make her swerve"

you want to jail an elderly lady on a "seemed to" basis

wow

[UserSince2005]

Cyclists should never be on the pavement

[Zizu]

Cyclists should never be on the pavement


You rarely see a cyclist not on the pavement in our neck of the woods ( gtr Manchester) .. I’ve never understood why tbh but it flamin irritates me


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[rusticgal]

Anybody on a bike would swerve when someone was deliberately coming towards them


That’s why a bike has brakes.
Imo the elderly lady should not have been cycling on a footpath on a busy road…why the pedestrian sauntered off to a supermarket totally aware that the elderly lady had been run over is bizarre…
To me it was a fault on both sides but the justice was harsh…

[arista]

Just get off, of the bike
dismount while walking past the Angry Lady.

[MTVN]

This woman has now had her conviction overturned thankfully

Said at the time it didn't seem right at all

[Niamh.]

This woman has now had her conviction overturned thankfully

Said at the time it didn't seem right at allSame :hee:

[Zizu]

Yeah it's a tough one, the woman was as you say aggressive and nasty but cyclists aren't supposed to be on the pavement either. It's a tough call, it doesn't look like there was any section of the pavement allocated to cyclists but the poor woman was right out on the edge and cycling pretty slow


In greater Manchester where I live I’d guess its 60:40 with cyclists on the pavement !!

Absolutely infuriating and so dangerous if a child or elderly person is walking out of their gate


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[Niamh.]

In greater Manchester where I live I’d guess its 60:40 with cyclists on the pavement !!

Absolutely infuriating and so dangerous if a child or elderly person is walking out of their gate


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ProYeah cyclists shouldn't be on the pavement ever really

[Beso]

I hope she had clean knickers on.

The only thing that caused this cyclists death was her inability to cycle. It's very harsh to say, but if you cant confidently peddle past someone waving their arms then you chouldnt be cycling.

[Beso]

https://imgur.com/Jk20SDR.gif

clear push on the side of her back after the bike was already passing her in a straight line shocking

I take it back..thats a shove..

And her sentence has been over turned...wtf!!

[Zizu]

Yeah cyclists shouldn't be on the pavement ever really


This is a recent phenomenon.. possibly started during those horrible COVID lockdown times ..

Its youngsters to old guys aa well - complete spectrum


Why on earth are 60+ year old guys suddenly riding pavements .. unless they are avoiding pot holes !?!?


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[Beso]

This is a recent phenomenon.. possibly started during those horrible COVID lockdown times ..

Its youngsters to old guys aa well - complete spectrum


Why on earth are 60+ year old guys suddenly riding pavements .. unless they are avoiding pot holes !?!?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro



Far too dangerous on the road.