A speeding driver who killed a 14-year-old cyclist when he oversteered and mounted a bike path has been jailed.

Oliver Nicholls, 22, crashed his Mini Cooper in to Isla Cochrane near Girton in Cambridgeshire in September 2022 after he overtook a turning vehicle.

Nicholls, from Godmanchester, had accelerated up to 71mph (114 km/h) three seconds prior to the crash.

He admitted causing death by dangerous driving and was sentenced to four years and 10 months imprisonment.

Cambridge Crown Court heard that Nicholls was going southbound on Oakington Road to a pub to play pool in Girton on 10 September, and 500m (1,640ft) prior to the crash, he was driving at 42mph (67.5km/h).

Judge Mark Bishop said there was a car "driving slowly and signalling to turn left" ahead of Nicholls, and the judge said "you overtook that left-turning vehicle at speed".

The court heard Isla was travelling north on a bike on a cycle path, which is on a raised kerb and marked by solar studs.

Judge Bishop said Nicholls "accelerated very significantly", then oversteered, and at the point of impact was travelling at about 54mph (87km/h).

Isla was taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge but died of her injuries.

The court heard Nicholls had three points on his licence for a previous speeding offence.

In a victim impact statement, Isla's mother said "she was a 14-year-old who did nothing wrong and should be alive", while her father said "we will love and miss her every minute of every day".

In mitigation, Lucy Organ said Nicholls was "genuinely remorseful" and "he told one friend he wish he'd died that night".

She told the court Nicholls had worked as a healthcare assistant at the Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge during the Covid-19 pandemic and had received a number of commendations during his time there.

Sentencing him on Monday, Judge Bishop said Nicholls was "not driving at in excess of the speed limit for very long", and "it's quite clear you will have much to contribute to our society in the years ahead".

As well as jailing him, Nicholls was banned from driving for seven years, six months and one week.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-67754731

QUOTE: “Not driving at in excess of the speed limit for very long", and "much to contribute to our society in the years ahead". That poor girl won’t have that opportunity. He’ll be out in two years and back on the road before he’s 30. Shameful judge and ruling. ENDS

Imagine her family having to listen to that biased crap from the judge.

On 19/12/2023 11:56 am, Simon Mason wrote:

> QUOTE: “Not driving at in excess of the speed limit for very long", and "much to contribute to our society in the years ahead". That poor girl won’t have that opportunity. He’ll be out in two years and back on the road before he’s 30. Shameful judge and ruling. ENDS
>
> Imagine her family having to listen to that biased crap from the judge.

How many more times are you going to report the same case?

That's at least six times in one day.

Sriracha | 17 min ago
2 likes
The judge should be censured for their comments. The fact that the prick in the high powered car ever contemplated his puerile manoeuvre speaks volumes about his attitude at the wheel. It's an attitude that stinks. Whatever he's got to contribute let him contribute it to life inside.

On 19/12/2023 05:29 pm, Simon Mason wrote:

> Sriracha | 17 min ago
> 2 likes
>
> The judge should be censured for their comments. The fact that the prick in the high powered car ever contemplated his puerile manoeuvre speaks volumes about his attitude at the wheel. It's an attitude that stinks. Whatever he's got to contribute let him contribute it to life inside.

Are you going to have a quiet aside with your fellow judge, M'Lud?

You'll have the upper hand, being a member of the Court of Appeal, High
Court Bench, etc.

stonojnr replied to IanMK | 2 min ago
0 likes

And note its reported in multiple sources as "car flips" "car veered" no mention of the driver involved even in so far as saying they were unhurt.

JNugent <jnugent@mail.com> wrote:
> On 19/12/2023 11:56 am, Simon Mason wrote:
>
>> QUOTE: “Not driving at in excess of the speed limit for very long", and
>> "much to contribute to our society in the years ahead". That poor girl
>> won’t have that opportunity. He’ll be out in two years and back on the
>> road before he’s 30. Shameful judge and ruling. ENDS

>> Imagine her family having to listen to that biased crap from the judge.

> How many more times are you going to report the same case?

> That's at least six times in one day.

He’s as busy as can be, following his declared modus of drowning out what
he sees as trolls on the group by putting up a multitude of posts about
motoring offences, totally missing the point that he’s trying to drown out
the only people who post in a cycling group about his obsession, namely
cycling! In his self-righteous phantasmagoria he hasn’t tumbled that he’s
now the troll…Laugh? You couldn’t make it up.

--
Spike

Brauchsel replied to Rendel Harris | 2 hours ago
3 likes

"in fairness, the accused only stabbed the victim once"

That can be a mitigating factor, perhaps as indicating a lack of intent to kill/cause really serious harm, or of a "red mist" as opposed to premeditation.

But it doesn't work here, as his criminal speeding wasn't stopped because he'd come to his senses but because he'd killed a child. I'd really hope the Attorney General would look at this as an unduly lenient sentence which should be increased. The maximum is 14 years, even with credit for pleading guilty it's much too low.

On 19/12/2023 07:20 pm, Spike wrote:

> JNugent <jnugent@mail.com> wrote:
>> On 19/12/2023 11:56 am, Simon Mason wrote:
>
>>> QUOTE: “Not driving at in excess of the speed limit for very long", and
>>> "much to contribute to our society in the years ahead". That poor girl
>>> won’t have that opportunity. He’ll be out in two years and back on the
>>> road before he’s 30. Shameful judge and ruling. ENDS
>
>>> Imagine her family having to listen to that biased crap from the judge.
>
>> How many more times are you going to report the same case?
>
>> That's at least six times in one day.
>
> He’s as busy as can be, following his declared modus of drowning out what
> he sees as trolls on the group by putting up a multitude of posts about
> motoring offences, totally missing the point that he’s trying to drown out
> the only people who post in a cycling group about his obsession, namely
> cycling! In his self-righteous phantasmagoria he hasn’t tumbled that he’s
> now the troll…Laugh? You couldn’t make it up.

He's always been a troll.

Never a serious poster on chav-cycling.

On Tuesday, December 19, 2023 at 5:29:50 PM UTC, Simon Mason wrote:
> Sriracha | 17 min ago
> 2 likes
>
> The judge should be censured for their comments. The fact that the prick in the high powered car ever contemplated his puerile manoeuvre speaks volumes about his attitude at the wheel. It's an attitude that stinks. Whatever he's got to contribute let him contribute it to life inside.

Do they still have "slopping out" in jail - they're you go, a perfect fit for the scum driver.