Helmet Camera Secures Roadrage Conviction

On 4th November 2010 while cycling into work I was subjected to a barrage of abuse from a motorist, Scott Lomas, which culminated in a threat to kill me. I have documented in my blog the efforts I have had to make to get action taken after I reported this to the police.

Today Lomas was finally convicted, on his plea of guilty, to the Public Order Act offence of using threatening or abusive words or behaviour within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress.

It transpires Lomas was in breach of a suspended prison sentence imposed by the Crown Court in April 2010 following his conviction of a crime of violence, malicious wounding, He was not referred back to the Crown Court for consideration of whether to activate that earlier sentence.

For the offence involving me, he was fined £250, a victim surcharge of £15 and prosecution costs of £300 (total £565).


It is sadly too much to hope that all mindless aggression and violence directed at cyclists will instantly cease but at least this conviction may help to discourage similar incidences of mindless 'roadrage' against vulnerable road users. I hope it may also serve to encourage police officers to treat complaints of this type of crime seriously. I commend the CPS for having the moral fibre to reverse the Metropolitan Police Constable's attempts to drop this case, notwithstanding the strength of the evidence due to the my use of a helmet mounted camera. I am grateful to prosecuting counsel (a cyclist it transpires!) who dealt with the case today both efficiently and courteously. Finally I am grateful too for the moral support I have received from the CTC, Roadpeace, The Road Danger Reduction Forum and the vast majority of cyclists who have contacted me.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Scott
• Lomas
• Convicted
• roadrage

[givecyclistsroom]

jbd taylor. much of the sorry sage is there on my blog; google cyclinglawyer and look at the posts in November 2010 on.

[givecyclistsroom]

It is a great shame that drivers like ajhornryder are not tested on bikeability.

[givecyclistsroom]

Swerve into the road? Where? Do you mean look back, check clear and gradually take primary before the restriction (i had moved left to let the preceding car through).

As for the final part I was alongside his car, as he cannot move sideways that was far the safest place to be. I do not get what you are 'just saying'.

[givecyclistsroom]

...ct'd..Yes, I will get sniped at. However I find some reassurance in the overwhelmingly positive comments here.

[givecyclistsroom]

Mattaria, I perceive this to be illustrative of a much wider problem which really does need addressing. This prosecution would never have got off the ground if I had not welcomed publicity when the police dropped it. Someone has to stick their head above the parapet and it may as well be me. There is no point in my spending days to get this progressed, if it is all then done on the quiet. The aim is to alter the behavior of more than one individual...ct'd

[CyclingMikey]

@mattaria I don't see why shameful and threatening behaviour like that from this driver should go unchallenged or unpublicised. Having this video so public will bring attention to his behaviour and dissuade him from doing that again as he'll not know whether the next cyclist also has a camera (and there are tens of thousands of us out there). More than that, it'll persuade other drivers not to abuse cyclists either.

[uboobish]

Well done cyclist . Cocky little chav serves him right, there's to many of these arseholes on the road.

[CyclingMikey]

@Chevaposaurus No, why? Cyclists don't cause massive property damage, and cyclists don't cause thousands of deaths and hundreds of thousands of injuries each year. That's drivers that do that.

Besides which, what has that got to do with this idiot driver?

[MegaOptionzTV]

About time these drivers were convicted by the justice system, there are worse drivers than this on YT. There are videos of actual assaults and threatening behaviour uploaded by other well known cyclist channels.

The evidence is there - registration numbers and faces of the offenders. The police SHOULD act!

[bazk666]

Excellent result, idiots like this need to the full force of the law... this is why cyclist R using cams..

[TheMinimancjb34]

Good on ya mate that's happened to me so many times well done :)

[Chevaposaurus]

Cyclists should pay registration.

[CyclingMikey]

@missionprodigy As opposed to mistakenly bitching about cyclists not paying their way, when the opposite is true?

[missionprodigy]

@CyclingMikey Why the hell should I thank cyclists for subsidising private motoring to some small degree?

[CyclingMikey]

@missionprodigy You should also thank all the cyclists that ride to work. If they were to take their cars, you'd have gridlock, just as with a tube strike day. If instead 10% of drivers cycled, you'd have summer holiday traffic and much shorter journey times.

[CyclingMikey]

@missionprodigy There is no road tax, DKUATB. As for ownership of cars, most cyclists do own cars. As I said before, cyclists are effectively subsidising private motoring to some small degree. You should thank them, and you should share the public highway as you're required to do by law, instead of trying to prove how cyclists don't belong on the roads because they don't pay some non-existent tax.