Tricky Court Decision

[barry1010]

This is a very sad incident but I can't decide if the court's verdict was the right one, apparently at a previous trial the jury could not reach agreement
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11811249/Woman-49-swore-cyclist-77-fatally-struck-car-arrives-sentencing.html

The police said they couldn't determine whether it was a pavement or a designated shared pavement/cycle path. Without any form of signage I'd say it was a pavement

[THECORBYLOON]

BARRY, "If there was evidence she was pushed it would have formed a major part of the charges"

Are you referring to the evidence or do you mean the charge would have been different?

[THECORBYLOON]

Reading other reports it might be that rather than actual pushing the cyclist, there was a movement of the hand toward her.

That alone could have made the cyclist swerve out the road.

[jno]

holding a hand out as a cyclist comes toward you on the pavement seems a fairly natural response if you don't want to be hit.

[THECORBYLOON]

As opposed to stepping to one side to get out the road?

[youngmafbog]

This one needs explaining to the public.

1) To show the charge and sentence are correct (Assuming it is)

2) To help the public understand what they should do in such circumstances, both as a pedestrian and a cyclist.

[ZebuSanctuary]

// As opposed to stepping to one side to get out the road? //

Quite!

Excerpt taken from the article - Judge summing up;

Quote... "This was a shared path for cyclists and pedestrians, I am sure you knew cyclists used the path, and were not taken by surprise,' the judge said"... Unquote

// Grey was described as 'childlike' //

The above is pretty damning and in my view was to seal her custodial fate.

There is a pedestrian/cycle path close by to where I live. It's a little over 5' and runs parallel to a dual carriageway.

The pavement in the article has been described as 2.4 metres wide. Putting this into perspective, two channels 4' in width each are available for both cyclist and pedestrian. Is 8' enough room for a cyclist and pedestrian to pass one another safely?

What sits uncomfortably with me, here we have a 40 something year old using threatening behaviour towards a very old lady. One wonders if Grey would have been equally vociferous had it been a 17 year old youth cycling towards her?

[Barsel]

jno, have you seen the video? The woman wasn't holding her hand out so she wouldn't get hit, she was flapping her hands about shouting and swearing at the elderly woman to get off the pavement.
You can see quite clearly that her hand catches the side of the woman causing her to lose her balance and fall into the road.
What gets me is the fact that the woman just carried on walking.

[ZebuSanctuary]

// This one needs explaining to the public.

1) To show the charge and sentence are correct (Assuming it is) //

That is going to prove difficult given the likelihood of an appeal in the offing.

[THECORBYLOON]

The pavement is 7' 10" wide so that would have allowed them to pass each other with plenty space between them.

[THECORBYLOON]

ZS, an appeal would determine if the verdict and sentence were reasonable.