A cyclist who knocked down and killed a pensioner while she walked across the road in Regent’s Park has been spared prosecution.
Brian Fitzgerald was doing up to 29mph in a 20mph zone when he hit Hilda Griffiths while she crossed the road with her dog at 7am on a Saturday in June 2022.
The cyclist was let off without conviction after a court heard that speed limits ‘did not apply the same way to cyclists as motorists’.
Kevin O’Sullivan: “It just seems to me the law, in terms of cyclists, has severely let Mrs Griffiths down here!”
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this is an extraordinary story about a cyclist guy called Brian Fitzgerald hurtling round Regent Park not where far from where I live and there’s this sort of Perimeter Road and all these cyclists they go they charge around there using it like a racetrack so he’s doing 29 miles an hour in a 20 M hour Zone and he hit uh Hilda Griffith who was 81 she’s been uh uh taking her dogs for walks to Regent Park for 30 years and only the week before she said to her son Gerald she said uh these bloody cyclists are getting worse anyway uh Brian Fitzgerald hurtled into this poor old lady killed her uh and uh he he’s getting off scotf free because apparently uh it was I suppose a genuine accident he said it just happened he had no time to make any adjustments to his course so he just hit her but the fact he’s doing you know nearly 10 an hour over the speed limit cannot be done for that because uh it’s impossible to break the speed limit if you’re on a bicycle what is that what’s that about uh well let’s discuss this with retired Scotland Yard detective Chief Inspector Mike Neville hello Mike yeah my my my my my I hate calling for more laws and more rules and more regulations but this is madness that in you can be on a bicycle break the speed limit very very significantly uh accidentally kill a poor old granny and uh guess what you get off scotf free we need a a law that says if you break the speed limit you’re in trouble never mind whether you’re in a car or on a bicycle well Kevin we don’t need any uh new laws there’s a law from 1861 which is called Furious driving it was actually brought in you know for sort of crazy handsome cab drivers I suppose but I’ve got personal experience of this because I was run over in the base in Northern Ireland where of course the road traffic act doesn’t apply uh and so it applies to bikes so anybody uh riding a bike in a sort of furious manner as the Victorian language States can be prosecuted there’s also the issue of manslaughter where you do you take a risk which is unacceptable and somebody dies as a result so you know and so cycling at um high speeds in a busy pedestrian area could count we don’t know the full facts of this case if the lady looked or she just stepped out but racing around in a in a builtup area is a somebody is taking an unnecessary risk in my view but as I say section 35 offense against the persons act 1861 applies to this matter yeah it happened to uh in June 2022 uh Hilda was taking a dog for a walk at 7: in the morning morning on a Saturday morning and you know we not no one is saying that Brian Fitzgerald did this on purpose this was clearly an accident uh but uh I’ve seen them I live near Regent Park and why is it can we get a law uh Mike to stop them going four across they go four across in s and in great groups of 20 at great speed and now we know with impunity uh we need to do something uh because why is it that we motorists all have to obey the ru rules of the road and cyclists don’t well the police hardly prosecute any uh Road uh matters unless I was knocked off my bike three times and no one ever was prosecuted because it’s hard work for the police they’ll concentrate on things like speeding where it’s a an absolute offense and you’re done but the law was actually changed so they’re entitled to uh to ride for ab breast so it’s the Ridiculousness at one time we all used to like share didn’t we we all used to be reasonable so cyclist when I was cycling to work I would ride at the side of the road no it’s all just we’ll just take over the whole Road it’s just endemic of it’s just a selfish Society we live in as suppose and and what is not helped here when you read the story of and the man who was riding the bike at the time he comes across as a sort of arrogant Banker which you used to think and and it just comes that’s his job not not rhyming slang right not not C rhyming slang yeah but it just comes across a certain way and you think you’ve killed an old lady there’s time to be sort of contrite about matters really and it that’s it doesn’t come across well at all and perhaps this was as we’ discussed just a terrible accident but as I’ve said there are matters where if you take uncessary risks and somebody dies as a result of that risk that is a crime of manslaughter in addition to the Furious driving issue yes so yeah that’s a good point I mean there must be some method by which uh cyclists who do things like this as I say I’m not saying in any way uh that Mr Fitzgerald did this on purpose of course he didn’t it was a terrible accident but uh uh you know he was going 10 nearly 10 miles an hour over the speed limit uh and had he been obeying the speed limit uh he may not have crashed into uh poor Hilda Griffith and I just think it’s such a sad story she’d been taking her dogs her various dogs for walks in that park for 50 years 50 years and then this happens she got a heartbroken family she’s got a heartbroken son uh and somehow or other it just seems to me that the law uh in terms of cyclists Road use has severely let Mrs Griffith down here I don’t know it’s the law Kevin I think it’s the actual prosecutors it’s the the police and the CPS because I don’t understand why I guess that’s what I meant like that’s what I meant you you know the law exists so why why aren’t they using it you know or they going they could come out with the reason to said the reason we didn’t prosecute him for furious driving on manslaughter is the as follows but they don’t seem to have done that he seems been painted as well we can’t do him for anything because he’s not in a motor vehicle but we’re not bothered about the speeding issue that the actual speed would be part of the evidence to say this is he is furiously driving or taking unnecessary risk but we’re not Prosecuting him for Speed and this is another thing and there has been several uh prosecutions under those Acts over many years so I think the as I say the CPS have got some explaining to do to the family and why do you think Mike you know this riding ACR they’re allowed as you say to ride four or breast across the road they can go whatever speed they want whereas we motorists we have to go about four yards around them if we go any closer we’re in trouble uh why have we given why has our legal system the police or whoever given over the roads almost exclusively uh for the use of cyclists over everyone else why are we revering these L Couts uh so much more than everyone else they they go through red lights they don’t observe any of the laws that the rest of us have to observe I just think it’s the political class isn’t it they’re obsessed with these green policies they want to stop people having especially the plebs of course having a car uh the cars were on like the Soviet Union where only the rich sort of fly by in their cars everybody else is on the Shanks his pony or a bike so the reason for it is the political Elite in in the western world is obsessed with the net zero and and this uh the bike uh thee supremacy of the bike over the car is is all part of that uh of those rules and games that they play uh and and develops into an arrogance as I say where the where the cyclist feel entitled to do that and they block the roads and it’s you’re right matee you’re right matee the world’s gone mad good to talk to you though thank you very m
33 Comments
He says he didn't have time to make adjustments, so sound like he wasn't in full control and knew it.
Two tier justice system to match the two tier policing in this country
sadly too many cyclists ride badly, red lights dont apply, give way signs, irrelevant, speeding, so what. The recent law changes to make it safer for cyclists has made some so arrogant that common sense has fled. There should be 1 set of rules for all users of roads regardless. There are a huge number of good courteous riders but some are a menace to everyone. i see cyclists without lights, without any warning device so that they can come up on other road users, pedestrians, horse riders etc at quite high speeds and zero responsibility for their actions in the event of an accident.
the cyclist should have been prosecuted for "wanton & furious cycling"…
Causing death by reckless riding, is still a crime, the CPS need to look at this again and the Judge.
Laws and rules not fit for today's traffic. Bicycle lanes just take room that was not planned for. And the vast majority of cyclists ride with litle regard for other road users. Where I live there is a good hill and cyclists zig zag to get up this hill. Its unbelievable.
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It's shocking that Kevin doesn't realise that there's not a speed limit for bicycles. Thousands of pedestrians get killed every year by motorists, then one gets killed by a bicycle and it makes headline news. It's tragic, but it was an accident which would have been prevented if she was paying attention. Yes Kevin, all motorists are saints and all cyclists are monsters, thanks for contributing and encouraging the hate.
Yeah manslaughter is still against the law, what this comes down to is the authorities dont want to prosecute a cyclist.
If it was Tommy Robinson on the bike you can guarantee he would be serving 15 years for this.
They’re not, the law was changed that they could ride to a breast and motorist had to leave the house in a certain distance don’t quote me, I think it’s 2 m. Also, I stopped a load of cyclists probably 20 that I’ve been behind for 7 miles in a 60 mile limit
They were even crossing the double white lines, so nobody could overtake them their excuse was there allowed to do it because they’re a club which I told them they weren’t then they said they’re allowed to do it because they’re racing so I informed them it states in the highway code. It is illegal to race on the public highway. it does not say it’s illegal unless you’re wearing stupid lycra
Cyclists can literally get away with murder, he must be laughing now, how far we have fallen
Actual speed is irrelevant. His chosen actions caused the death of another person; could have happened at 10 or 15 mph. Plus no remorse shown.
I just read she stepped into the road without looking !! I see that all the time !!
She stepped into the road !!!
Not the Law, the people administers of the Law let her down.
It would be good to see a benefactor funding a private prosecution if the CPS won't prosecute. It's not about cars vs. bikes, that's just muddying the waters, its about an innocent being killed by the actions of another. Surely manslaughter laws apply?
Speed is not the only factor.
Since 29th January 2022, the law now requires cyclists to give way to pedestrians, to give clear notice to pedestrians, to slow down for them and to keep 1.5m clear.
If any of these can be proved – lack of bell/ (ViennaConvention) / sound signal then the cyclist broke the law and there is contributory negligence
Its Grievous Bodily Harm.
Look both ways before you cross the road
Improve the cycle network
Give pedestrians safe crossings
May I also share the fact that Mr Fitzgerald tried to dodge the first inquest at the last minute. Thankfully the judge adjourned until last Thursday. He has done nothing but stall and obfuscate from the off.
Miss you everyday since my beloved Hilly 💛
Hope her family take him to court.
Absolutely outrageous no conviction here
… because drivers never speed and get away with it. Cycling at the side of the road is more dangerous
All cyclists painted with the same brush. Talk TV profiling minority groups as per usual.
But people are allowed to step out in front of car's doesn't it apply to lycra louts
Bear with me on this one:
When I was involved in local football (soccer!), the League I was involved with, had to make sure that all member Clubs had "Public Liability Insurance", which provided for incidents where people in the park, or sports ground, were struck by the ball, or even a player.
Surely, there is a case for all cyclists to have such cover. I realise it would not bring this poor lady back, but it would certainly be some kind of recompense for her family.
As a side-note, in London, (and I suspect, many other cities), millions of pounds have been spent on cycle lanes, but they seem to be under-used by those for whom they were provided. (And what about the cyclist's view of traffic lights?)
A sad indictment of just how useless and ineffective our judicial system is.
Come on presenter how do you know he was going 10mph over the speed limit
Your making this up as you go
It’s ridiculous that a cyclist going faster than the speed limit cannot be prosecuted, about the only thing a cyclist can be prosecuted for is “furious cycling”. All other forms of transport have to comply with the rules of the road, everything from a moped up to the biggest vehicle if the speed limit is broken the rider or driver can be prosecuted and fined. So why can’t a cyclist be prosecuted especially in this case, when as a result of this accident someone has died. If he hadn’t been riding so fast he’d have had more time to react to a pedestrian stepping out in front of him. So being 9mph 30% over the speed limit is a major point in this accident.
Cyclist have been above the law 4ever! This is because the laws of the road apply to motor vehicles! Therefore, don't apply to cyclists.
The recent laws that were introduced simply legalised their empowerment and immunity.
If they are being given all the financial resources to modify our roads in their favour, they should foot the bill, not the motorists. Can start by mandating an insurance requisite, and a mot, road tax!
Highway code rule 69 is quite clear. You MUST obey all traffic signs and traffic light signals.
Road Traffic Act 1988: Section 36
The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016: Schedule 3 Part 3, Schedule 7 Part 4, Schedule 9 Parts 4 and 6, Schedule 13 Part 6, Schedule 14 Part 2
When the journo said "we motorists" and made a sleazy rhyming slang remark, he clearly uncovered himself as a cyclist hater. Look, if you don't like the laws, eg that speed limits don't apply to bicycles, then write to your MP instead of spewing nonsense and fuelling completely unnecessary rift between different groups of road users. The cop started reasonably well until the end when unfortunately fell for journo's trolling. It's not some green conspiracy that there are different laws for different groups. It's simply because the risk different modes of transport pose to others. The facts are that drivers kill about a hundred and seriously injure 4000 cyclists a year on British roads, while cyclist kill 2 or 3 pedestrians. The journo is either not smart enough to get this or he has an agenda to stir and create divisions. You are playing bloody dangerous game, GB News.