Diana friend ran into cyclist... then simply drove off
AN aristocrat has been fined more than £1,000 for driving off after crashing into a cyclist near her £2.4million home.
Lady Cosima Somerset, 57, was driving a black Mercedes when she knocked the woman off her bike on a busy road in Fulham, south-west London.
The victim, who was not named, suffered whiplash and shock after the accident in February, magistrates heard.
Lady Cosima, who is the niece of Lady Annabel Goldsmith and was a close friend of Princess Diana, is the co-founder of an upmarket lifestyle management firm.
Wearing a white blazer and pinstripe culottes, she spoke only to confirm her name and address at Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court in south London yesterday.
The mother-of-two admitted two charges of driving without due care and attention, and failing to stop and give details of an accident.
Lady Cosima, daughter of the Marquess of Londonderry, started her business Concierge in 2000, with clients including her cousin Jemima Khan. She has previously said that the concept behind the firm was ‘exceptional service and beautiful manners’.
CCTV footage of the crash, on Fulham High Street on February 18, showed her pulling out into the path of the cyclist, knocking her from her bike in front of an ambulance that was passing.
Matthew Spratt, prosecuting, said: ‘She emerged from a side road and collided with the cyclist, causing injuries including shock and whiplash. She then failed to stop and exchange details.’
William Glover, for Lady Cosima, said she did stop and get out of her car to check on the cyclist.
Mr Glover said: ‘The reason I played that, you may realise, is because of the charge of failing to stop at the scene of an accident.
‘It looks and sounds as if Miss Somerset did not stop to check on the injured party, but she did stop and she did speak to the lady in this case.
‘Miss Somerset saw the ambulance, then pulled over to the side of the road and as she moved off she saw that the ambulance driver was taking her details and she realised that she should have given her details.’
Mr Glover said Lady Cosima hit the cyclist at low speed and that the woman suffered minor injuries. ‘These were injuries that were able to be treated by way of painkillers,’ he added.
Chairman of the Bench David Simms said the offences fell within the lower categories of seriousness and fined Lady Cosima a total of £978 for the offences, and added eight penalty points to her licence. He also ordered her to pay costs of £100 and a victim surcharge of £97.
‘Beautiful manners’