Driver fined for killing cyclist.

Simon Mason wrote:

Det Con Robin Povall died of serious injuries after his bicycle was in
collision with a car in Weymouth, a magistrates court was told.

Those pesky bicycles. Always colliding with cars. Sometimes I think they
must have minds of their own...

Three hundred quid. Gagh!

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
================================================== =========
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
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Dave Larrington must be edykated coz e writed:


Three hundred quid. Gagh!


Yeah, was a bit high wasn't it, a totally over the top giving her six points
as well. Of course they weren't going to ban her, it wasn't serious like
going over 100mph on a deserted stretch of motorway or anything, she only
killed a cyclist.

--
Ian

http://www.catrike.co.uk

In ,
Simon Mason typed:
http://www.thisisdorset.net/dorset/w...EWS_NEWS1.html

I noticed in another paper that she was not banned as she said she
needed her car to take her son to school.

Simon


Tsk, all the cyclists fault. Shouldn't have been wearing that high
visibility bright yellow cloaking device. What's a driver to do?

Tony

--
"I don't want to achieve immortality through my work.
I want to achieve immortality through not dying."
Woody Allen

"Simon Mason" wrote in message
...
http://www.thisisdorset.net/dorset/w...EWS_NEWS1.html

I noticed in another paper that she was not banned as she said she needed
her car to take her son to school.

Simon

I'm in two minds about this kind of thing. Yes, the woman's made a mistake
when driving, but surely prison should only be a last resort, for those who
are a danger to society if left walking down the street.

On the other hand, I think some sort of community service should have been
given - sounds like that fine will cover the court's costs and give nothing
back to society.

Thomas.

doobrie said:
well, this has made my miind up on the joining ctc issue ... assuming of
course they are pro tougher action on the cagers! its time people were given
minimum of a prison sentence + very high fines for this sort of thing and
whatever else we can think of!

I'd settle for them not doing it again ever: prison isn't a good or
cost-effective way of doing this. A ban and an extended re-test is a better
way.

i was just in a room where someone was complaining about receiving £365 fine
and 4 points on their license for doing 58 in a 40 zone.

he didnt injure anyone, so why has she received such a similair fine/points
whilst killing someone? absolutely crazy the law in this country - you cant
defend your own home without going to prison, yet can drive a car and kill
someone and walk away with minimal fuss

For the same reason that the corrective options available to the judiciary
for attempted murder are the same as for actual murder. "Rewarding" (by
lower penalties) unsuccessful criminal behaviour isn't really sensible.

Regards,

-david

"Simon Mason" wrote in message
...
http://www.thisisdorset.net/dorset/w...EWS_NEWS1.html

I noticed in another paper that she was not banned as she said she needed
her car to take her son to school.

Simon



A WOMAN motorist has been ordered to pay £305 for driving without due care
and attention following a collision in which an off-duty policeman died.

Det Con Robin Povall died of serious injuries after his bicycle was in
collision with a car in Weymouth, a magistrates court was told.

The bench heard that the car driver had not seen the oncoming cyclist as
she
made a right turn.

At Blandford Court Tina Maureen Raye Ward, 36, of Bagwell Farm, Knights in
the Bottom, Chickerell, admitted driving without due care and attention in
Radipole Lane on March 7.

She was ordered to pay a fine and costs totalling £305 and had six penalty
points put on her driving licence.

Magistrates decided that the tragic accident followed a momentary lapse of
concentration.

The court was told the accident had been just after 4pm when 50-year-old
police scenes-of-crime officer Robin Povall had been cycling home from
work.

Ward's Nissan Micra car, which had been coming from the opposite
direction,
turned directly into the path of the bicycle. Magistrates heard that the
police officer's cycle would have been within the sight line of the car
driver when she began to make the turn and he was wearing high visibility
clothing, including a bright yellow top.

Defending, Rod Evans told the court: "This is a truly tragic set of
events."

He added Ward was full of remorse over the accident adding: "She had
slowed
down and indicated. She didn't see him. She cannot explain why she didn't
see him."

Ward, a cleaner at the caravan park where she lives, had been returning
from
Weymouth with her 14-year-old son.

He said Ward was adamant that she had looked and told the court that her
son
had not spotted the cyclist either.




this kind of s**t makes me sick.
I bet the silly cow would have seen him if there were much tougher
penalties!!!

Thomas Buck must be edykated coz e writed:


"Simon Mason" wrote in message
...
http://www.thisisdorset.net/dorset/w...EWS_NEWS1.html

I noticed in another paper that she was not banned as she said she needed
her car to take her son to school.

Simon

I'm in two minds about this kind of thing. Yes, the woman's made a mistake
when driving, but surely prison should only be a last resort, for those who
are a danger to society if left walking down the street.

On the other hand, I think some sort of community service should have been
given - sounds like that fine will cover the court's costs and give nothing
back to society.

Thomas.


how about a 12 month ban with a re test required as an absolute minimum as
well as some community service and a fat fine?

--
Ian

http://www.catrike.co.uk

On Thu, 21 Aug 2003 17:02:52 +0100, "Thomas Buck" tom [at] greysheep
[dot] co [dot] uk wrote:

Yes, the woman's made a mistake
when driving, but surely prison should only be a last resort,

I agree completely. There's no indication that this driver set out to
mow down a cyclist.

But driving is a privilege, and a difficult skill. If you clearly
can't do it right, then you should lose the first until you
demonstrate the second. I'm quite happy with an automatic long ban for
anyone who kills another, following a conviction for negligent driving
(even a relatively minor offence)

A low fine is insulting. The "school run" defence is farcical.

"Simon Mason" wrote in message ...
http://www.thisisdorset.net/dorset/w...EWS_NEWS1.html

I noticed in another paper that she was not banned as she said she needed
her car to take her son to school.

Simon

Magistrates decided that the tragic accident followed a momentary
lapse of
concentration.

As I understand it drivers convicted of careless driving are punished
for the act of driving without due care and attention and the
consequences have little or no bearing on the sentence.
It seems unjust that this driver and others like her continue to
drive after killing someone while someone who speeds will get a ban
eventually.
Speeding attracts a ban, I would suppose, because of the increased
danger of collisions and injury to other road users.
Why then when a fatal collision has occurred due to poor driving is
there not a mandatory period of disqualification.
Time to join the CTC. Iain C

"Simon Mason" wrote in message
...

Seethe, seethe....

Det Con Robin Povall died of serious injuries after his bicycle was in
collision with a car in Weymouth, a magistrates court was told.

No it wasn't, the clueless cow hit him.

The bench heard that the car driver had not seen the oncoming cyclist as
she
made a right turn.

Which is a statement of guilt not an excuse, obviously.

She was ordered to pay a fine and costs totalling £305 and had six penalty
points put on her driving licence.

Tch tch. If she does it again she might get a slapped wrist. Whatever
happened to these new guidelines about drivers who kill getting meaningful
punishments? But that probably only applies if they kill other drivers;
clearly cyclists are asking for trouble simply by being there.

Magistrates decided that the tragic accident followed a momentary lapse of
concentration.

That is the bit that really ****es me off. Everybody knows that momentary
lapses of concentration while driving can kill, so why should we accept that
the death is just an accident simply because some stupid cow can't be
bothered to pay attention?

Ward's Nissan Micra car, which had been coming from the opposite
direction,
turned directly into the path of the bicycle. Magistrates heard that the
police officer's cycle would have been within the sight line of the car
driver when she began to make the turn and he was wearing high visibility
clothing, including a bright yellow top.

So the fact that she didn't see him means SHE WASN'T F***ING LOOKING!

He added Ward was full of remorse over the accident adding: "She had
slowed
down and indicated. She didn't see him. She cannot explain why she didn't
see him."

So she'd warned other people she was going to turn and that absoplves her of
any responsibility for looking. Only in CagerWorld (TM).



So, what should the penalty be? Seems to me that a ban plus retest and a
significant fine would be a good start. After all, if you drive while drunk
and risk killing someone, you get an automatic ban even if you get away
without crashing, so if you drive carelessly and actually do kill someone
surely you should expect a penalty of at least the same magnitude?


--
Guy
===

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