Killer British cyclist faces negligible punishment

In any other country he would be facing manslaughter charges at least

A cyclist who caused a teenager fatal injuries when they collided on a pavement told her to “move, because I'm not stopping”, a court heard yesterday. Jason Howard, 36, allegedly refused to swerve or brake after warning the girl, who was standing on a pavement edge in Buckingham with her friends.

Aylesbury Magistrates' Court was told that Mr Howard, of Buckingham, was travelling at about 20mph when he collided with 17-year-old Rhiannon Bennett, who was knocked unconscious as her head hit the pavement. She died six days later in hospital.

Mr Howard denies a charge of dangerous cycling in April last year. If convicted, he faces a maximum fine of $4,000. Gerald Collins, prosecuting, said: “As he approached he shouted at them to move out of the way. He could have moved to the other side of the road or applied the brakes. He did neither.” The defendant admitted in a police interview that he could have steered away from the pedestrians, but chose not to, thinking a shout was enough.

A 16-year-old boy, who was with the group and granted anonymity by district judge Terry English, said: “He [Mr Howard] was rubbing his chest shouting at her. I think he shook her to see if she was conscious.”

Original report here




More bungling British Bobbies

They didn't shoot him this time. He must have been lucky. It would be too much to expect that they have learned from their past mistakes



A police force has apologised to an innocent rail passenger who was arrested at gunpoint by armed officers. The 21-year-old black man was forced to lie spreadeagled on the platform with a pistol pointed at his head. He was then searched for weapons before being released without charge. The incident at Bournemouth Station in Dorset has now been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Andrew Wright, spokesman for Dorset police, said the man had been the victim of mistaken identity after an earlier incident in Basingstoke, Hampshire, on Saturday evening. Mr Wright said "Shortly before 6pm on Saturday we were advised by Hampshire police of an earlier alleged firearms incident. A man was identified by a police officer on a train travelling into Dorset. "The train stopped at Bournemouth and the man who had been identified by the officer was detained by two police firearms officers just after 6pm. "The 21-year-old man was taken to Bournemouth police station but it quickly became clear it was a case of mistaken identity and he was released without charge.”

The man, who has not been identified, was later visited by a senior officer. Mr Wright added: "We have apologised to the man and his family and we are providing on going support to the family with the appointment of a dedicated family liaison officer."

One commuter who witnessed the man’s arrest, said armed police arrived at the station in a convoy of black police cars. Dave Rogers, a property developer, said the man looked in a "state of shock" when he was wrongly detained. He said: "I was queueing on the platform when this team of police officers turned up and two policemen began guarding each exit. "They were talking over their radios saying 'don't let anybody on or off the platform or off the train'. "The train arrived and the guy who was arrested got out and walked up to a white man and greeted him and shook hands, I think he was his friend.

"With that the police told him to get on the ground and they pulled out their weapons. They then got him up quite slowly, he looked like he was in a state of shock. "They put him in handcuffs and picked up his rucksack and walked him into the disabled toilets. "After five minutes they took him across the bridge, over to the other platform and led him away. "He didn't put up a fight and hardly said anything."

Five people were arrested on Sunday in connection with the original disturbance in Basingstoke.

Original report here




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