Please report dangerous drivers to the police - Roadsafe. Report to plod, not just whinge here.

Two KNIFEMEN in a car mow down three people outside a pub 'like dominoes' after mounting the pavement in London's cosmopolitan heartland - but police say it's NOT terror

Mail headline.

Wrong skin tone ?

More likely a jury of other motorists would look at the vehicle of the victim (x5) and say nah, he must be a cunt.

X5 driver 'accelerated to get out of the way'. Yeh. Right.

He probably didn't expect Focus Man to react like he did, but you have to expect a reaction if you block someone deliberately / give their wife a foot massage.

Would you say they are in the same ballpark?

Something something holiest of holes.

but you have to expect a reaction...

A reaction? yes.

Not that thought, that blatantly assault using the car as a weapon.

I guess this is the place to post this & I apologize in advance for the length of this post.

I'm having a crisis of conscience & I would like the hive opinion.

In May 2013, a guy beeped at my then girlfriend as he went past really close to her, I was in front of her 20 metres or so but she was upset enough about it to say that we should talk to the guy. We found him at the next set of lights and I cycled in front of him and she remonstrated to which he replied amused 'where you scared?' anyway about 10 minutes later we saw him again, he was in the left lane to turn left and we continued straight, when the lights changed he changed his mind, went straight on, beeped twice at my girlfriend, she gave him the finger and he intentionally hit me, gently but I came off and got some bad bruising, hurt my wrist, thankfully the bike had only to tiny chips of paint & scuffs to the (vintage) hoods (it was a new build so I threw my body under it to take the force) He then drove off. I had his registration number in my head so I reported it immediately to the police. It went to court a year and a half later and he was charged with driving without due care and attention (it was never considered as deliberate despite my then girlfriend saying it was in her witness statement, he was more in trouble for fleeing the scene, he claimed in his defense that he didn't realize he had hit me, a blatant lie) but I was so traumatized by the experience of the court case (it was in France so in a second language and in public) that I didn't go back to find out what the punishment was.

Months later I got a cheque from my insurance for nearly 700Euro & I thought that was that. Then a couple of months ago I got the report saying that he had been banned for 4 months and he must pay me additional compensation of 2000 euro & on Saturday I got a letter saying that he is about to appeal the decision.

The guy is a normal guy, I guess he's not a rich guy, he was driving a shitty old Clio, he is also an HGV driver so the ban for sure impacted/will impact his work & finances so in some ways I feel bad, I don't really need the money (I'm not rich but I'm not on the bread line) & I'm tempted to say that if this guy acknowledges he was wrong and apologizes that I will let it go, I should add that he was totally unapologetic in court so I'm also concerned that he will think it was all too easy if I give him the chance to do the right thing, saying that I'm not sure the ban has even been implicated yet so I don't know what to do. Should I let it go? Should I take the money and buy some nice new wheels? or should I try to get more money? (me and my then girlfriend since broke up and this incident came up a couple of times in the disputes surrounding our break up). Should I give the guy a chance to do the right thing? Has he been stressing these last 3 years losing sleep, questioning his own actions? or was it just one of a list of shitty things he's done to people on and off the road & he only thinks about it when he gets a letter from the court?

I'm sure there will be little mercy for the guy here but I don't want to destroy a guys life, at the same time he did a shitty thing (beeping at women on bikes trying to scare/flirt with them then hitting someone deliberately and leaving the scene) & it could have been a lot worse. Thoughts?

So a bloke drives into you, endangers your former GF's life, and shows no remorse in court, and you're feeling sorry for him? Fuck me, I must be a hard-hearted bastard, because I'd say he's getting everything he deserves and has done nothing to earn a second chance. He's had plenty of opportunities to apologise or to make amends. It's hardly your fault he hasn't taken any of them.

Fuck him, bleed him dry. He's a cunt.

I'm more forgiving than most, but fuck that guy. He used his car as a weapon, so don't lose any sleep about him having a hard time.

Seems to me like you are second guessing the role and decision of the court. Things like his livliehood, remorse, etc will have come into the verdict and sentencing / compensation amount setting.

Let the justice system do its job and you do your job: being a victim, trying to recover from a traumatic and destructive incident and taking compensation.

If it helps you to process then why not give done of the money to an appropriate charity. Or spoil yourself. Whatever works for you.

I don't want to destroy a guys life

He's apologising because he got caught, not because he's sorry.

I wonder how often he does shitty things where he's not caught.

Driving an HGV.

Fuck him. He had his chance to be remorseful.

I should move to France.

Thanks for your thoughts. It makes me feel better. He hasn't actually apologized, I was wondering about giving him the option but as I said I'm concerned he'll simply say what he needs to say just to avoid the fine. Today I will get the exact order so I should know more about on what grounds he is appealing. If, for example he has a young family, if he's been out of work these last few years and if I get the sense he is apologetic or feels in any way that he did something stupid and dangerous I will think on but if he's just appealing because he's an arsehole then I'll hold my ground I think.

Leave it to the court. If they think he's suffering hardship they'll make allowances.

Yes - leave it to the court to decide the appropriate punishment. If you don't feel it's right to accept the money, donate it to charity.

@mellion

So much this and others sentiments

Also France has strict overtaking laws so he can't deny dangerous driving, plus you know there was intent. No need to feel guilty and if possible suggest he has the book thrown at him.

Had he swung a knife at you and her exchanging some money would be favourable over time in prison. You also might not be the first person he has hit and run, leaving someone injured on the side of the road potentially to die is a disgusting. People are fragile, it doesn't take much especially with a car.

mellion,

You did not get him banned, you did not get him fined, you did not cause him to have to pay compensation, He did all those things to himself.
He chose to beep at your GF and drive too close
He choose to hit you with his car
and He choose to drive off not giving a toss about you

If the money comes do what ever you think will make you happiest,

Fuck that guy in his stupid fucking face.

Someone with that temperament shouldn't be driving a HGV IMO.

Yeah. I wondered that, why not five or ten... greggs logic

Yeah, don't think there's many options for me to eat there though... 8 bottles of water maybe.

@Scrabble I dread to think

Your insurance may ask for the 700eur back they paid you, as you've now been directly compensated by the court.