Motorist Guilty of Causing Serious Injury to Cyclist
A motorist who knocked a cyclist off his bike and into a tree has been found guilty of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
Incident
Cycle courier Damien Doughty was knocked off his bike on 10 February 2016 following an exchange with Justine Henshaw-Bryan over her using a mobile phone while driving.
The cyclist confronted 25 year old Henshaw-Bryan after he noticed she was using her phone at the wheel when she pulled out of a side road in front of him.
Henshaw-Bryan swore at Mr Doughty and he responded by kicking her wing mirror before cycling away. He told Wood Green Crown Court:
“Quite quickly, I realised the car was chasing me. It was getting very, very close.
“Realising how close the car was, really feeling like it was going to knock me off, I took a sharp left. I was going 20, maybe slightly more.
“I thought the car wouldn’t be able to get round that corner at the same rate to catch me.”
The court was then shown CCTV footage of Henshaw-Bryan’s vehicle swerving to the left, hitting Mr Doughty before driving off.
In court, Henshaw-Bryan claimed that her then boyfriend took control of the wheel, causing her to swerve into the cyclist. However both he and the court rejected this claim.
Serious injuries
As a result of the collision, Mr Doughty was knocked off his bike and crashed into a tree. He sustained serious injuries including a punctured lung and broken hand, as well as a severe tear to his liver. He required intensive care and was unable to work for an extended period of time.
Guilty of causing serious injury by dangerous driving
A jury found Henshaw-Bryan guilty of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and as a result, she could face up to five years in jail. She will be sentenced on Wednesday 10 May 2017.
If you’ve been injured in a Road Traffic Accident as a cyclist, you could be entitled to personal injury compensation.
Contact our team of expert Road Traffic Accident solicitors today. Call 0800 888 6888, or send an email to .
Source: Cycling Weekly
