Cyclist knocked down in Richmond Park angry as driver avoids jail
A cyclist who broke his collarbone after getting knocked over by a car insists the driver did it intentionally.
David Williams previously told how he was hurt while cycling home through Richmond Park, in south west London, last November.
He said Adrian Stephney drove his BMW too close to him so he ‘slapped the boot to let the driver know how close he had been’.
Stephney reacted by braking ‘sharply’ and David ended up in front of the car. This is when Stephney was said to have ‘accelerated and swerved’ towards David.
David fell off his bike, broke his collarbone and suffered severe bruising. He was off work for several weeks while he recovered.
Stephney admitted driving without due care and attention on Wednesday, when Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court handed him charges worth £570 in total.
David said he is ‘pleased’ the case is over and ‘grateful’ for the park police’s help.
But he also told cycling outlet road.cc he is ‘disappointed’ the charges were not more serious and the sentence was not ‘stiffer’.
He said: ‘I believe that I was assaulted in a moment of rage by Mr Stephney and if the weapon of choice had been a knife or baseball bat the driver might be looking at a prison sentence.
‘This and other cases highlight the casual acceptance of road violence by the justice system and society in general.’
He went on to explain how he ‘suffered’ for nearly three months and lost out on income while he was recovering from his injuries.
This caused ‘anxiety and disappointment’ because it was right before Christmas.
Just three weeks after David managed to get back onto his bike again, the dad was again hit by a different driver coming too close.
He said: ‘There was no intent or serious physical injury that time but more anguish at what might have been at the actions of another driver whose entitlement valued moments of their life more important than all of mine.
‘Both events have severely shaken my confidence to keep myself safe on the roads.’
After seeing the footage, many people on social media have since come to David’s support, agreeing the driver was behaving ‘dangerously and shockingly’.
Some even suggested the driver should face attempted murder charges.
Stephney was ordered to pay a £418 fine, £110 in costs, a £42 victim surcharge. He was also given six points on his driving license.
Metro.co.uk has contacted the Met Police for comment.
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