A cyclist was left needing a hip replacement after an angry motorist crashed into him and then left the scene. Robert Hughes, of Ffordd Hiraethog in Mostyn, admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving at Mold Crown Court on Friday.

Prosecuting, Sarah Badrawy, told the court how Hughes, 52, was driving his silver Mercedes along the A494 between Denbighshire and Flintshire a week before Christmas - on December 19 last year. He encountered Keith and Jackie Godfrey - a husband and wife who set off from their home in Ruthin for a bike ride.

She said that there had been a "very quick verbal exchange" between the two men after Hughes passed the couple with "less than a foot" between them. Thinking nothing more, the cyclists carried on their journey.

Hughes stopped further up the road, before then speeding past Mrs Godfrey and catching up with Mr Godfrey. Hughes hit him with his vehicle, with Mr Godfrey thrown "up in the air" before landing on his hip.

Hughes then fled the scene, said Ms Badrawy. Hughes was stopped later that day, having been traced thanks to bystanders who provided a registration plate to the police, and he admitted there was a "slight confrontation".

At the time, he claimed that the cyclist "threw his bike" at the car and denied hitting him. The judge, Niclas Parry, said Hughes intended to "put the fear of God into the cyclist" by frightening him.

Instead, in his loss of temper, he wound up hitting him. Mr Godfrey told the judge Hughes' actions left him needing a hip replacement and dealing with "significant pain" as he spent months recovering.

He told the court how this was a "slow process" that remains ongoing to this day. He said that after the initial crash, he was "fully reliant" on his wife and children who "put their lives on hold" to care and support him with daily life for weeks.

Mr Godfrey added that he wonders still if he'll ever be able to return to the same standard of fitness he had before encountering Hughes. Defending, Robin Boag, told the judge how this case was "a few seconds of bad misjudgement" that was short-lived.

He added that this was the extreme reality of what can happen when "things are taken further" if cyclists and motorists clash on the roads. Choosing to drive off was something the judge wouldn't look favourably upon, Mr Boag accepted.

However, he added that Hughes was unaware of the full damage caused from the encounter, believing the impact to be a "glancing blow". The judge, jailing Hughes for 16 months, said that this was a case of "bad road rage".

He told the court this was another case where cyclists are put in danger by "people who drive their cars irresponsibly". He said: "Whatever the provocation, your response was completely disproportionate and highly dangerous.

"What you did was to effectively use your vehicle as a weapon to intimidate this cyclist. Such was your anger, such was your disregard for basic safety of road users, you went far too close and the inevitable happened.

"It is a serious aggravating feature that you simply left him in the road without a care for his welfare." Alongside his prison sentence, Hughes was banned from driving for two-and-a-half years. He must pass an extended re-test before he is able to get back behind the wheel of a car again.

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/cyclist-needed-hip-replacement-after-24916102

11 hrs ago

He could have been killed.

5 year sentence might have proved a deterrent for mister angry.

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> 11 hrs ago

> He could have been killed.

So could you.

> 5 year sentence might have proved a deterrent for mister angry.

What sentence did you get?

Apart from having to pay to watch TV, of course.

--
Spike

Was the police photographer on a half day or something?! What kind of mugshot is that !!

https://i2-prod.dailypost.co.uk/incoming/article24915985.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/0_Robert-HughesJPG.jpg

On 03/09/2022 08:05 am, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
> 11 hrs ago
>
> He could have been killed.
>
> 5 year sentence might have proved a deterrent for mister angry.

Why do you call the cyclist "Mr Angry"?

>
>QUOTE: "What you did was to effectively use your vehicle as a weapon to intimidate this cyclist. Such was your anger, such was your disregard for basic safety of road users, you went far too close and the inevitable happened. ENDS

What would Doug say?

On 03/09/2022 10:57 am, Simon Mason wrote:
>
>>
>> QUOTE: "What you did was to effectively use your vehicle as a weapon to intimidate this cyclist. Such was your anger, such was your disregard for basic safety of road users, you went far too close and the inevitable happened. ENDS
>
> What would Doug say?

For shame, do not even mention that great and sadly-missed usenet poster.

Even during periods when he was unmistakeably ill (and had the
sympathies of rational posters here), he was a hundred times more
logical than you, Del Boy, will ever be.

On Saturday, 3 September 2022 at 10:42:33 UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
> Was the police photographer on a half day or something?! What kind of mugshot is that !!
>
> https://i2-prod.dailypost.co.uk/incoming/article24915985.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/0_Robert-HughesJPG.jpg

Say cheese not look at it!