“Can I not just apologize?” asks motorist arrested for repeated attacks on cyclist
Suspended sentence for driver who tried to run cyclist off road…9 times
By Simon_MacMichael – Posted on 03 February 2010
A teenage driver who repeatedly tried to run a cyclist off the road has been told by a judge sentencing him to nine months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, that he had made a “bit of an unfortunate choice of victim” – an off duty senior police officer. Even so, the judge only gave him a suspended prison sentence.
Detective Inspector Martin Melvin had been cycling home from Burnley police station last July when 18-year-old Benjamin Harrison, who lives in the town, pulled alongside him and started beeping his horn, shaking his fist and shouting, “Get off the road. I will run you off the road. I will kill you. Get off the road,” according to a report in the Lancashire Telegraph.
Burnley Crown Court heard how Harrison had made nine attempts to run Detective Inspector Melvin off the road, trying to hit him on the pavement and making contact with his handlebars and causing him to veer into trees, with the result he came off his bike. He also threw coins and stones at his victim.
Besides the suspended sentence, Harrison was given a 12-month supervision order, ordered to carry out 100 hours’ unpaid work and pay £750 costs, and banned from driving for two years.
Harrison was arrested at his parents’ house, where it is claimed he told police, “Can I not just apologise?”
Story here. I’ve got nothing else to add.
–EBR
February 4th, 2010 at 2:18 pm
I love that he can’t drive for 2 years. That rarely happens in the US, right? Maybe he will have to ride a bike? That would help him understand us better. He will definitely learn not to target off duty police officers!
February 4th, 2010 at 5:40 pm
One of the commenters to the
article suggested that he be
required to ride a bike 1000
miles before being re-licensed.
Too cruel and unusual over here.
February 5th, 2010 at 1:59 pm
I think that trying to run a bicyclist off the road with a car 9 times shows that there is something very wrong with this kid, which is likely deserving of some serious therapy.
March 27th, 2010 at 12:32 pm
True, but to what extent will it really punish him? It’s not entirely unlikely that he will just get back behind the wheel even with the suspension.