Man who left cyclist for dead bailed pending sentence appeal
COURT TOLD HE ‘THOUGHT HE’D HIT A BOLLARD’IN ACCIDENT
A MAN who drove on and left a Sandhurst-trained ex-irish Guards major-turned successful business consultant fighting for his life on a dual carriageway was granted bail by a court on Friday pending an appeal against a jail term.
Cathal O’reilly had cycled for 32 hours from London and was five miles from Holyhead, where he planned to catch a ferry to Dublin, when his bike was struck on the A55, causing devastating injuries, magistrates were told.
William Jones, 61, of Goodman Street, Burton on Trent, was also heading to Ireland on September 19.
Jones admitted failing to stop in his Peugeot 207 at Valley after the accident, failing to report it, being uninsured, and careless driving.
Magistrates at Caernarfon last Monday jailed him for 12 weeks and imposed a year-long driving ban to start on his release for failing to stop and report what had happened.
Court chairman Richard Farmer told him that prison was “only appropriate punishment” for something that has “changed Major O’reilly’s life”.
Bail was refused, pending an appeal against the sentence to the Crown Court. But a judge at Mold freed him from custody ahead of a hearing this week.
Prosecutor Diane Williams said that a woman driving by almost didn’t stop and help when she saw what she initially thought was rubbish.
She then realised it was the cyclist and there was debris from the car.
Major O’reilly’s face was covered in blood and his helmet had come off.
The prosecutor said a nurse had also stopped at the scene and emergency services were called.
Major O’reilly said in an impact statement that he had been “left for dead on the side of the road”.
He had been taken to hospital at Bangor and then transferred to the major trauma centre at the Royal Stoke University Hospital, where he underwent 22 hours of surgery in the first two days.
The major said that his life had “changed beyond recognition” and branded Jones a “despicable coward”.
Chris Dawson, defending Jones, acknowledged this is a “really sad case”.
He said: “Mr Jones, while driving on the A55, failed to notice the presence of Major O’reilly on his cycle and accepts there was a collision which left Major O’reilly with the devastating injuries.”
The solicitor said Jones thought he’d hit a bollard.
He was horrified when told what had happened by the police.
Mr Dawson said there was a proposed new offence of causing serious injury by careless driving, carrying a jail term, but it hadn’t been introduced yet.
Had Jones stopped, then the court would have a maximum penalty of a fine and ban.
“He would dispute he knowingly left Major O’reilly on the road,” the solicitor added.