A cyclist has been cleared of manslaughter after hitting a mother-of-two at speed, with her later dying in hospital from a head injury.
20-year-old Charlie Alliston rode into 44-year-old mother-of-two Kim Briggs in February of last year, causing her to fall and suffer catastrophic head injuries.
Ms Briggs – who had been walking while on her lunch break – died a week later, The Independent reports.
The case was the first time a charge of manslaughter had been brought against a cyclist, with the prosecution arguing that Alliston had taken deliberate steps to make his cycling dangerous, even ignoring the law and riding the bike without a front brake.
He later posted comments online saying the crash was Ms Briggs fault as she had been using her phone at the time and had ignored calls to get out of the way.
Though he was cleared of manslaughter, the jury found Alliston guilty of causing bodily harm by “wanton and furious driving,” The Telegraph reports.
After the verdict was delivered, the prosecutor, Duncan Penny, read a statement from Ms Briggs’ grieving husband, Matthew.
“Our world fell apart,” it read. “I lost my wife and best friend. The children lost a mother who always had their back.”
“Out of this senseless carnage I will try to bring change to the law and change to attitudes.”
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