17 months in jail for Bristol bus driver who 'used vehicle as weapon'

Another disgusting murderous thug behind the wheel of a very deadly weapon. An all too common, horrendous violent crime once again only met with a slap on the wrist for the attempted murderer. Judge Mark Horton is a hypocrite. This is a growing problem which needs to be seriously addressed publicly. It seems that only we victimized cyclists discuss it on our sites. Too many people are willing to kill just to avoid being delayed for a few seconds. What is wrong with people? Anyone psychotic enough to swerve a vehicle into a defenseless cyclist is not fit to live in society. The driver should be put away for at least 20 years. Minimum. Execution would also be fitting.
“He could have been killed and you would have been facing a much more serious offence."
YES! HE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. So why the light sentence?

So another magistrate lets a " Murdering Turkey " escape their due !
Will Thursday's debate in the House see that Cyclists are treated better ? Doubtful , since they are too busy introducing a law to convict cyclists that cause injury !

Italy is introducing a law , " Vehicular Homicide " , so can people remind their MP that this law is needed in the UK immediately ? If not retrospective to the 23rd feb , then there is a need to get the legislation passed quickly !

Time the small element of vehicular thugs discovered that bullying a Cyclist has consequences !

" Cities fit for Cycling " sponsored by the " Times " together with all the other campaigns to which they drew attention do not look like winning over the public BUT a few new laws could make drivers value their driving permits ?

And there was poor Mr Hill sobbing in court when he was sentenced. Pathetic.
Would he have got even that sentence if it hadn't been for the CCTV?? Hell, he wouldn't have pleaded guilty.
Now grab your ankles and say 'prison bitch.'

This incident isn't a cyclist doing something stupid and simply ending up colliding with a vehicle directly because of those actions. It's someone responding to the cyclist's actions, even if they were antagonistic, with a violent and serious assault with an extremely powerful weapon.

(Firstly I agree with most of the above comments that the sentence is derisory as the bus driver clearly swiped at the cyclist for which there is no excuse no matter what conversations they had before nor where the cyclist was on the road.)

Watching the video, then as the bus overtakes (after tailgating the cyclist too close) does the cyclist swerve out towards the bus ?, maybe trying to block the bus from the second lane ?

Fear of this kind of utterly disproportionate retaliatory assault in response to an argument is why I now try and avoid confrontation with motorists. I wouldn't argue with a bloke with a gun because he might use it, and as the video vividly demonstrates, the same kind of power imbalance exists between cyclists and motorists. Justice (or in this case, a pale imitation thereof) is of limited consolation when you're having your knee rebuilt, or worse.

Please note, I am not in any way trying to imply the cyclist was partly responsible for this because he and the driver argued - there are just some unpredictable and nasty people out there who are driving around in vehicles that can be used as deadly weapons.

I have sent 'this' to the Attourney General. Can I suggest we all send something similar, then maybe something will get done - maybe not in this case but in furure ones.

To the Attourney General....

As a memeber of the public I, like many others I have spoken to, am dismayed that Gavin Hill, a bus driver, was only charged with a motoring offence when he deliberately drove his bus at a cyclist, Phillip Mead, in Bristol on 6th April 2011, breaking his leg in the process.

I draw a parallel with a hypothetical situation where a robber pushes an old lady to the ground, breaking her pelvis, whilst stealing her handbag. In such a situation one would not expect the only charge to be brought would be one of 'petty theft'. Clearly any right minded person would expect a more serious assault charge to be brought. Thus, I fail to understand why the CPS have not brought a non-motoring assault charge against Mr Hill.

I would be interested to hear your views as to whether the CPS were correct in the charges thay made and also whether at this late stage whether additional charges could sill be made against Mr Hill.

Definitely looks like attempted murder to me.

Even if there were mitigation arguments in relation to an earlier argument (I don't believe there can be any valid ones) they should be taken into account at sentencing, not charging.

Hypothetically speaking, if you were to stab or shoot someone in the street it would be attempted murder. Mitigation in sentencing may be valid if they had been dealing drugs to your kids outside the school gates. You are still guilty of attempted murder, you just deserve a lighter sentence (and a medal).

So no matter why he did it (Has he given a reason?) he should still have be charged in relation to his actions.

Don't forget people that you can appeal to the Attorney General that the sentence was too low. If enough people complain the sentencing will have to be looked at and it will keep the story in the news as a warning to other drivers.

http://www.attorneygeneral.gov.uk/ULS/Pages/default.aspx

17 months - for attempted murder with a 14 ton vehicle?

The cyclist will probably endure a protracted recovery period much longer than the 8.5 months this nutter will serve - and possibly ongoing symptoms considering his knee required surgery.

It's so disproportionate a sentence in the circumstances.

Only yesterday I commented to my boss that some of my cycle rides to and from work resemble a scene from the movie "Duel" but nothing compares with this. I have had vehicles swerve into me deliberately but I didn't have the benefit of video evidence.

Seeing things like this encourage me to get a video camera on the bicycle.

Another nutter getting banged up for stupidity. Hope the victim recovers.

hope someone shivs him in the showers...ass!

Appalling... should he be allowed behind the wheel of a motor vehicle again?

I think not, but I believe he will.

17 months jail, how long will he actually serve?

British justice....quality!

Horrible video.

With regard to the judge's comment: "He could have been killed and you would have been facing a much more serious offence."

This resonates a little with the story about the suggestion of raising the maximum sentence for causing death by dangerous driving.

Once again we have a case which shows that the problem is not the maximum sentence for a fatal incident; it is the lack of severity with which non-fatal incidents are viewed - or at least the lack of severity of the charges which can realistically be brought.

The judge's statement is facile: it should be obvious to anyone that this assault carried a high risk of resulting in fatality. Yet it would appear that it was not possible to bring a charge to reflect that.

See also the case of Carl Baxter, who deliberately reversed his Range Rover into a cyclist and his child in a trailer. Same here: GBH, despite the obvious and significant risk of death.

I rarely gesticulate at motorists to make it clear to them that they've driven dangerously at me for precisely this reason: I know that the law is incapable of discouraging them from assaulting me with their vehicle if they wish.

Maybe someone needs to lend a legal eye to why GBH seems the most severe charge for deliberate assault with a vehicle, and whether we need a new and specific offence. MPs seem quite happy to push for a "death by dangerous cycling" law, but there's little happening to address non-fatal assaults on the road.

Yep...read it and commented previously...before seeing the video evidence. Having now seen it, this is outrageous! Definitely hope he gets to share a cell with big Bubba. 17 months for what is tantamount to attempted murder. I've seen assault cases with lesser consequence than this and the accused got 5 years...justice me hole!

I feel sick having seen the video on BBC

That's attempted murder. Simple.

i wonder if i can find someone in the prison he is visiting and send him a few quid to ensure his stay is uncomfortable, what an utter bellend, having been hit by a white van recently i can vouch for the pain it brings. the guy should be in for 10-15 years for attempted murder

At least he signalled, eh? Unbelievable...

17 months really doesn't seem like enough.

I remember reading about this. I think I got the idea the bus driver had edged the poor bloke off the road. The video is horrific. What an idiot.