I thought you were a bloke
What road-rage driver told triathlete after he cracked her pelvis grappling her off bike
AN ANGRY van driver tackled a woman off her bike after being undertaken – before telling the injured semi-professional triathlete ‘I thought you were a bloke’, a court heard.
Martyn Lee, 46, was driving his silver Ford Transit when he pulled over and floored 38-year-old Caroline Livesey.
The plumber saw red after being undertaken by Mrs Livesey as she had swerved to avoid a dog in the road.
After Lee drove around her into oncoming traffic in Pateley Bridge, near Harrogate, he drove further up the road, jumped out of his van and grappled Mrs Livesey to the ground. She suffered a fractured sacrum – in the pelvic area of the spine – and cuts and bruises to her lower back and head on May 11, York Crown Court heard.
Prosecutor Shawn Morales said: ‘As the complainant went past, he rugby tackled her from the bike and she hit the back of her head on the road surface. After the incident, he told her “To be honest, I thought you were a bloke”.’
Mrs Livesey, who served for ten years in the Royal Engineers and completed tours in Northern Ireland and Afghanistan, was described to the court as ‘semi-pro’ and was about to qualify for a triathlete spot at the 2017 world championships. A month earlier she had secured a top ten finish in a gruelling North America ‘Iron Man’ challenge, which included a 3.8-mile swim, 117-mile bike ride and a marathon.
In a victim-impact statement, Mrs Livesey – who also works as a geotechnical engineer at Coffey Geotechnics in Harrogate – said: ‘Eight months ago I had gone part-time in my job to train 48 hours a week.
‘I was at the point in my training where I was competitive and could achieve podium positions. After about a week at home with my injuries from this incident, I realised that they were not simply bruises and had them medically checked and I had in fact broken my sacrum. This was painful and I also had damage to my nerve endings which became uncomfortable when riding the bike. I no longer feel safe when on my bike and have ridden my bike in fear for months. I have lost earnings – I lost out in prize money for qualification to these events and I am still in part-time employment.’
Mrs Livesey also had her iPhone and helmet camera broken, which cost £340 and £209 respectively. As a result of the incident, the court heard Lee had been the butt of a hate campaign on social media. The online slurs had made him lose business.
Defending Lee, Ayisha Smart, said: ‘He says that he merely pulled over further up the road to try and speak to the victim, but the buildup of stress he was under at work let his anger get the better of him.
‘He has given a guilty plea at the first opportunity, the same plea given to police officers at the scene of the incident.
‘The defendant has been subject to a hate campaign on Facebook against him as a result of this incident and his self-employed plumbing business has suffered. This has affected his ability to work as his partner is also off work and not in receipt of benefits.’
Lee, of Lofthouse, near Harrogate, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm at an earlier magistrates’ court hearing. Despite being scheduled to be sentenced yesterday, Recorder Nicholas Barker told him he must prove he can work to pay compensation or face a possible jail term.
He said: ‘This was a one-off event, however, it is a very serious matter. I recognise the good character of the defendant, but I am looking at the actions of the seriousness and impact on the victim in this case. The charges do pass the custody threshold, but it would depend on the defendant’s ability to work.’
Lee was granted bail and will be sentenced in January.
‘I no longer feel safe on my bike’