Police Flogging Dead Cyclists bikes, quick get em while they're hot

Sorry for the crass title, but this story has a rather crass unfolding of events.

About three years ago a 33 year old cyclist called Asif Sindhu got killed by a speeding, unlicensed, uninsured driver. It was near to where I live, a residential street not far from a primary school and kids play ground.

First they let off driver with Just a £950 fine, and banned for two years despite not having a license in the first place.

But I just found out, that later they actually sold the Victims bike which they took for evidence.

http://www.birminghammail.net/news/birmingham-news/2008/01/31/police-sold-off-my-dead-brother-s-bike-97319-20418528/

Im thinking of trying to contact his sister mentioned in the story, ask her if a ghost bike might be welcomed even if it happened a long while ago now.

That's fuckin sick!

ALL coppers are cunts!

£950 and banned for two years? isn't that more or less the same to that HGV driver who run over a cyclist and tried to hide the evidence in a lay-by?

what, even the plastic ones?

I did a quick search on unlicensed drivers, and came upon this site;

In the event of a crash, an uninsured or unlicensed driver may flee from the scene, lengthening the time before emergency services are called and leaving the person/people they hit to die or be further injured by other vehicles. **However, incredibly, there is currently NO charge for killing or injuring someone while driving unlicensed or uninsured or for killing or injuring someone in a ‘hit and run’ when the driver leaves the scene. **

This means that the police currently have to prove that the standard of driving was below or far below the standard of a competent driver to bring a charge of careless driving, or death by dangerous driving, against an unlicensed or uninsured driver or a hit and run offender.
http://www.brake.org.uk/facts/hit-and-run-by-uninsured-and-unlicensed-drivers

not sure how accurate the site is thought, could be a lots of hot air (like that helmet site), I don't know.

wtf? That is mind boggling. Is that being lobbied against?

Brake are quite well established. I did a painful interview with the woman who started the charity many moons ago. Very soon after the death of her partner in a road accident.

Its a fucking outrage is what it is. No wonder there are so many unlicenced and uninsured drivers, and no wonder people drive off. You'll be unlucky if you either get caught or have any real charges brought against you. If there is anything us as cyclists, and a cycling community need to do is to band together and lobby for legislation - tough legislation, now.

There is a cultural barrier in the CPS that seems to stop a driver being charged with manslaughter as the result of a collision. Instead they always want to charge with death by dangerous driving, which means thet they have to prove the standard of driving (as mentioned above). Whereas with manslaughter you just have to prove it was down to someones actions, allbeit unintentional

It looks like the CTC is working on this very issue
Probably a repost but here it is anyway
http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=5314

Stories like the one above make me want to join organisations like the CTC and LCC. The more weight behind them the better.

There is a cultural barrier in the CPS that seems to stop a driver being charged with manslaughter as the result of a collision. Instead they always want to charge with death by dangerous driving, which means thet they have to prove the standard of driving (as mentioned above). Whereas with manslaughter you just have to prove it was down to someones actions, allbeit unintentional

It's not only the CPS barrier that is a problem. The legislation needs to be overhauled. In my opinion, if you are caught driving with no licence, you should have a hefty fine/or a short jail term if you cannot pay, and never be allowed a licence ever again.

No insurance is not as bad but it should be automatic loss of licence and hefty fine.

Killing someone whilst doing both those things above and speeding? That is at least manslaughter. The law needs to be changed so people don't get off so lightly as a deterrent. If straight out murder was a £940 fine then there would be a hell of a lot more murders.

It looks like the CTC is working on this very issue
Probably a repost but here it is anyway
http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=5314

Stories like the one above make me want to join organisations like the CTC and LCC. The more weight behind them the better.

Well, I can only concur. I think everyone who has an interest in cycling should support organisations like the LCC, CTC, RoadPeace, etc. We all work closely together and every member, every donation, every offer of voluntary work helps.

Oliver
LCC

if you are caught driving with no licence, you should have a hefty fine/or a short jail term if you cannot pay

Not see anything wrong with this? only the poor should do time in jail?

Not see anything wrong with this? only the poor should do time in jail?

not a case of wether you are poor or not. Dont do the crime if you cant do the time. If you cant pay, thats your own fault, shouldnt have been driving illegally.

not a case of wether you are poor or not. Dont do the crime if you cant do the time. If you cant pay, thats your own fault, shouldnt have been driving illegally.

I am not tryign to excuse people that drive illegally, i just think that anyone that does should be punished to an equal extent. just because someone is rich enough to pay, does that mean thhey shouldn't have to "do the time". If you are going to attach an imprisonable penalty to this crime. which to some extent i agree, then rich and poor should be imprisoned equally (although to some extent the rich are commiting a worse crime, as with more disposable income they have less of a reason not to pay for their insurance/tax/MOT)

There is a cultural barrier in the CPS that seems to stop a driver being charged with manslaughter as the result of a collision. Instead they always want to charge with death by dangerous driving, which means thet they have to prove the standard of driving (as mentioned above). Whereas with manslaughter you just have to prove it was down to someones actions, allbeit unintentional

In such circumstances it would probably be negligent act manslaughter, and the standard of a reasonably competent and careful driver would still need to be considered. 'Normal' manslaughter is where you can prove a deliberate act, the unintended consequence of which is death. And there, you'd run into evidential issues. Even where something IS deliberate, it might be that it doesn't look like that to any witnesses. If there are any. Which usually, there aren't.