Interesting court case

surrey_commuter

This was well covered at the time when a woman in an Audi full of kids drove at a cyclist so hard that she ploughed into a shop. Am more than slightly surprised that she is only being prosecuted for grievous bodily harm, with intent; dangerous driving and criminal damage. The fact that she is in Crown Court would imply she could be doing some time which would send a very high profile weapon to drivers using their cars as a weapon.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3262040/Mother-car-children-mounted-pavement-Audi-4x4-ran-cyclist-smashing-beauty-salon-fit-road-rage.html

DrLex

It's attempted GBH with intent.
For those who, like me, don't want to give the Daily Fail traffic, here's the slightly more acceptable Standard link - clicky or a lame local rag report here, wherein the driver blames the car... :roll:

Would be nice if she was made an example of, but I'd suspect the usual jury empathy with the accused and she'll get a suspended sentence.

greg66_tri_v2.0

"Natalie Pyne, 31, had at least four children in her Audi Q7"

Really? The prosecution haven't been able to establish how many children were in the car?

Bodes well...

tangled_metal

Aaahh! The poor lady is being persecuted let her off I say. Oh yes, that'll always happen no need to push for it too hard. She's a mother I guess and drives a nice car. Let her go free with at most a suspended sentence. Then if a housing association scrote in a knackered old corsa does the same they'll be locked up.

Did the standard link labour the autism bit? If he'd not been autistic would that make it a lesser.crime?

I hope you her insurance premiums go sky high so so she can only a afford to insure a 1 litre Diahatsu or dacia.

surrey_commuter

Personally I would give her 6 months jail and 10 year driving ban. I think she will get 3 months suspended, 9 points on licence and £200 fine.

keef66

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19718261#p19718261]Surrey Commuter[/url] wrote:

Personally I would give her 6 months jail and 10 year driving ban. I think she will get 3 months suspended, 9 points on licence and £200 fine.

I thought fines were based partly on the ability to pay? If she's driving a Q7 and didn't steal it, she can afford a lot more than a £200 fine!

llebend

I think 6 months inside and a 10 year driving ban.......but I suspect it will be a soft and fuzzy sentence.

For her, I think she would be more worried about being made a social pariah than worried about jail time or a driving ban. Her 'friends' will probably support her for being 'strong' or some such bullsh1t...

She is clearly unfit to parent and a bit mental, IMHO. Driving an unfit for the road car, endangers lives of kids and lives of of people visible to kids, screams in the street with a bloke with autism for a minor fracas and clearly lies to the police, quite blatently, in public and in front of their kids....Nice! Great model for parenting....

Another article: http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/13805068.Mum_rammed_cyclist_through_salon_window_with_her_4x4_following_argument_hears_court/

elbowloh

Why is this not attempted murder?

The number of car related (pedestrian) deaths would suggest that motor vehicles are a lethal weapon.

iPete

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19718393#p19718393]elbowloh[/url] wrote:

Why is this not attempted murder?

The number of car related (pedestrian) deaths would suggest that motor vehicles are a lethal weapon.

I suspect the lesser charge is more likely to stick, with attempted murder very likely fall down in court.

Snakebite the 2nd

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19718398#p19718398]iPete[/url] wrote:

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19718393#p19718393]elbowloh[/url] wrote:

Why is this not attempted murder?

The number of car related (pedestrian) deaths would suggest that motor vehicles are a lethal weapon.

I suspect the lesser charge is more likely to stick, with attempted murder very likely fall down in court.

Whilst you are 100% correct I can't help feeling a bit put out.

Taking it to the extreme why not just do her for littering?
A care in the community officer could have just dished out a fixed penalty fine, job done, made it go away.

There needs to be a few high profile cases where drivers are dealt with to the full extent of the law.
This will, hopefully, make a few more people think a bit harder before thinking "Sod it, it's only a cyclist" as they steam past as quickly and as closely as they can.

In a nutshell, if it save one life then it's worth it.

adambruntlett

After a close pass from a delightful lady in a Fiat 500 (on her phone) between Brunswick House and the Albert Embankment yesterday I have to agree. She just didn't seem to think she had done anything wrong, kept repeating "but you're on a bike" as if cyclists somehow don't deserve the same respect as cars. What pissed me off most is that I was doing a good 25mph when she passed me, keeping up with traffic so not really holding her up - she just obviously had a problem being behind a cyclist.

Pleasingly the light turned amber as she approached so she had to stop and I got to point out just how much she had gained by nearly killing me.

surrey_commuter

There needs to be a few high profile cases where drivers are dealt with to the full extent of the law.
This will, hopefully, make a few more people think a bit harder before thinking "Sod it, it's only a cyclist" as they steam past as quickly and as closely as they can.

In a nutshell, if it save one life then it's worth it.[/quote]

I totally agree with this and it seems a good case to start with as the chance of conviction would seem to be high.

rower63

She looks very like the driver of the convertible Merc a few weeks ago who decided she wanted to be in the place where I was, at the front waiting for the lights on Kingston Bridge, and who simply pushed me (stationary) out of the way with her car, taking skin off my hand in the process. "You weren't in the cycle lane!".

Snakebite the 2nd

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19718502#p19718502]rower63[/url] wrote:

"You weren't in the cycle lane!".

Well there you go, it was obviously all your fault, so quit moaning.

pblakeney

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19718502#p19718502]rower63[/url] wrote:

She looks very like the driver of the convertible Merc a few weeks ago who decided she wanted to be in the place where I was, at the front waiting for the lights on Kingston Bridge, and who simply pushed me (stationary) out of the way with her car, taking skin off my hand in the process. "You weren't in the cycle lane!".

Edit:- PS This is exactly why I dislike cycle lanes. Once they get are implemented, drivers will expect us to use them and stay off the road. At all times.

imatfaal

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19718653#p19718653]PBlakeney[/url] wrote:

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19718502#p19718502]rower63[/url] wrote:

She looks very like the driver of the convertible Merc a few weeks ago who decided she wanted to be in the place where I was, at the front waiting for the lights on Kingston Bridge, and who simply pushed me (stationary) out of the way with her car, taking skin off my hand in the process. "You weren't in the cycle lane!".

I wonder how long that bus will stay on the road till some irate road user sues them (probably from his/her hospital bed) because in the dark/fog/rain/dusk they saw only the picture not the bus (kinda like RoadRunner painting a road tunnel on the cliff face for Wiley to run into)

DrLex

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19718502#p19718502]rower63[/url] wrote:

She looks very like the driver of the convertible Merc a few weeks ago who decided she wanted to be in the place where I was, at the front waiting for the lights on Kingston Bridge, and who simply pushed me (stationary) out of the way with her car, taking skin off my hand in the process. "You weren't in the cycle lane!".

I hope you did something about this assault.

Ben6899

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19718673#p19718673]DrLex[/url] wrote:

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19718502#p19718502]rower63[/url] wrote:

She looks very like the driver of the convertible Merc a few weeks ago who decided she wanted to be in the place where I was, at the front waiting for the lights on Kingston Bridge, and who simply pushed me (stationary) out of the way with her car, taking skin off my hand in the process. "You weren't in the cycle lane!".

I hope you did something about this assault.

And mentioned it might be the same person. Right?

my_grandadʹs_bike

Interesting that when its one of their own (police) as happened in Wallasey this week the charge is murder!!!

However it might just focus judge/jury on how dangerous it is to deliberately drive your vehicle at cyclists

Snakebite the 2nd

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19719504#p19719504]my grandad's bike[/url] wrote:

Interesting that when its one of their own (police) as happened in Wallasey this week the charge is murder!!!

Whilst the circumstances are slightly different I agree.

Driving your car at someone on purpose, regardless of the excuse is attempted murder, at the very least.
If you succeed, then it's murder.

Why can't it be this simple?

llebend

I guess it comes down the the balls of the CPS prosecutor and how likely they feel a conviction will be.

Firstly; this is murder, not attempted murder or GBH - The poor chap got killed. The public outcry when it is a police officer *probably* confirms a ballsier prosecution and harder conviction, the police themselves will be pushing hard for a stiff conviction - more likely to get a conviction of murder in this case. The public will scrutinise post the case too.....

As for the case of this 'daft tart' with a big car. No one died, thought there were injuries. The CPS have gone for the most likely conviction; GBH. I am sure if they had gone down 'attempted murder' the defence would have gone down the 'enraged, depressed or some psychotic episode' route - uncharacteristic behaviour as such and I doubt attempted murder would stick.....not everyone in the public likes cyclists too, so, they have gone middle ground.

I know that's not supposed to happen, but hey, it's the mob rules right?!

rower63

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19718673#p19718673]DrLex[/url] wrote:

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19718502#p19718502]rower63[/url] wrote:

She looks very like the driver of the convertible Merc a few weeks ago who decided she wanted to be in the place where I was, at the front waiting for the lights on Kingston Bridge, and who simply pushed me (stationary) out of the way with her car, taking skin off my hand in the process. "You weren't in the cycle lane!".

I hope you did something about this assault.

I only realized my hand was bleeding when I got home and saw brown spots all over my shorts and lots of blood in my mitt. Otherwise I'd have been sure to bleed into her car (it was a convertible with the hood down). At the time, I did briefly (very briefly, basically in an instant) consider two alternatives: 1. recording the number plate and making a report, or 2. doing something there-and-then for more instant gratification. I chose the latter, and she was so enraged by it that as we moved off after the lights went green, she desperately scrabbled for whatever she could grab in her car to throw at me. She was actually squeaking in her fury. I believe a packet of cigarettes missed me by a few inches.

On_What

Don't know what you did and don't wish you to tell either, but if it was her I would suggest you inform authorities of a time and place where you saw her lose it with another cyclist

timothyw

What did you do there and then? Squirt her with the waterbottle? Don't leave us hanging!

veronese68

Guilty, couldn't have been anything else really. With any luck they will throw the book at her. Hopefully one that weighs as much as a Q7.

surrey_commuter

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19719781#p19719781]Veronese68[/url] wrote:

Guilty, couldn't have been anything else really. With any luck they will throw the book at her. Hopefully one that weighs as much as a Q7.

That will feel like along wait until November 6th... I hope her kids are good at ducking

bendertherobot

Gets to see Halloween and Bonfire Night, misses Xmas. Shame.

surrey_commuter

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19719828#p19719828]bendertherobot[/url] wrote:

Gets to see Halloween and Bonfire Night, misses Xmas. Shame.

She may want to check the lunar calendar to see when Easter falls

DrLex

One would like to think that Justice is blind, and that she'll get the same punishment as would be set for a twenty-year-old ned in a souped-up corsa. However, I'm thinking that her barrister will dwell on the hardship imposed on the children by their mother's incarceration such that it'll be a suspended sentence. Here's hoping for a robust judgement.

Ben6899

Someone in the comments section in that latest article isn't holding back!

This woman is a mess I see her around new Malden and how she speaks to her children is a disgrace so no shock in seeing her mug to this story line,chuck the book at her she tried to kill someone she should be up for attempted murder makes you wonder what she's like behind closed doors if she can act in such a way in front of children what must she be like behind closed doors send her to prison ban her from driving and take her children from her she's a risk to herself and them not stable mentally what so ever.
Only last week she was dragging her children to school screaming with blacked out eyes says it all really

HebdenBiker

Daily Fail wrote:

A witness...heard Pyne shouting: 'Shut up' at the crying children after the car came to rest in the wreckage

She sounds absolutely censored hatstand.