Spot the difference!

A cyclist who rode on the pavement and hit an elderly pedestrian who subsequently died as a result has had his appeal rejected.

Mr Justice Keith said the judges did not accept that his offence had involved only ‘momentary inattention’. “The appellant decided to remain cycling on the pavement and, therefore, to run the risk that he would encounter a person on the other side of the blind corner,” he said.

“He should have realised that, if he collided with someone who was infirm or elderly, it was entirely possible that serious injury might ensue.

It’s hard to object to the logic of that. It’s just a stark contrast to the sympathy which judges ooze when the killer is at the wheel of a car rather than on a bicycle. For example, this case.

However, the judges did feel sympathetic to the cyclist, by allowing him to drive when he comes out of prison:

The Appeal Court judges quashed a one-year driving ban and an order that his driving licence be endorsed with six penalty points.