Auriol Grey, 49, violently gestured and shouted swear phrases at bike owner Celia Ward, 77, who then fell into the trail of a automotive on Nursery Road in Huntingdon, in Cambridgeshire, in October 2020.
Ward had been approaching gray in the wrong way on her bike when Grey shouted at her to get off the pavement earlier than throwing her arm in direction of her, Cambridgeshire Police stated in a press release.
The altercation was captured on CCTV the place Grey might be heard shouting at Ward to “get off the f—— pavement”.
Prosecutors claimed Grey was “angered by the presence of a cyclist on a footpath”.
“Ward fell into the road in front of a moving vehicle and was later pronounced dead at the scene,” police stated.
Grey was arrested shortly after the incident.
“When questioned, she explained she had disabilities, including impaired vision, and was worried about being struck by the bike,” police stated.
Grey was discovered responsible of manslaughter after a trial and sentenced to 3 years in jail on March 2.
Ward’s household gave sufferer influence statements together with her husband David saying there was “rarely a day that goes by without thinking of her”.
“After 53 years of happy marriage, Celia was taken from me in a most horrific way, leaving me with only my memories. She was kind, calm, careful, cheerful and competent in all that she did,” he stated.
“Her death has caused me great suffering. We relied on each other, shared the same sense of humour and outlook on life, and enjoyed each other’s company. I miss her terribly.”
Ward’s daughter Gillian stated her mom’s loss of life has turned her household’s world “on its head”.
“There isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t wish I could pick up the phone to ask her advice, celebrate the special events in our lives or just tell her how much I love her,” she stated.
“It’s easy to say how wonderful my mum was… she was passionate about her family and always there to help and support us.
“She was of a technology that made and mended, stored a spotless home and all the time put others first. Her loss of life has marred what ought to have been among the most pleasing occasions for us as a household.”
Police have been unable to determine whether the footpath was a shared cycleway, the trial heard.
The council said it would review the location.
Detective Sergeant Mark Dollard said it is a very “troublesome and tragic case”.
“Everyone may have their very own views of cyclists on pavements and cycleways, however what is evident is Grey’s response to the presence of Celia on a pedal cycle was completely disproportionate and finally discovered to be illegal, leading to Celia’s premature and unnecessary loss of life,” Dollard said.
“I hope it’s a stark reminder to all street customers to take care and be thoughtful of one another.”
Source: www.9news.com.au
