Driver who left teenage cyclist "for dead" in horrific hit-and-run is given six-month suspended sentence due to 'state of the prison service'

"I can't get over how someone could hit a cyclist and leave them at the side of the road not knowing if they are dead or alive. I feel physically changed, not just by the injuries but the failing to stop and being left for dead."

Those were the words of a teenage cyclist seriously injured in a hit-and-run collision in Cornwall, the driver having now received a six-month suspended sentence and two-year driving ban, the judge reportedly telling the court he had to consider the victim's age and the state of the prison service in sentencing.

A reporter from the Falmouth Packet was at Truro Crown Court to hear how Robert Morse, 56, hit the cyclist on a rural road and left the 17-year-old victim "for dead", fleeing the scene and attempting to hide the Range Rover he was driving, while the injured rider was airlifted to hospital with double breaks to his leg and a 20cm wound to his head.

Morse, who had convictions for 128 previous offences including failure to stop and driving whilst disqualified, only possessed a provisional driving licence at the time of the collision as he had previously been disqualified for other driving offences.

The court heard how the teenage cyclist, who was 17 at the time, was wearing reflective clothing and had lights on his bike. He was riding on a quiet route past Biscovey Football Club and had stopped to take a drink when Morse hit him from behind, immediately fleeing the scene and not offering any help.

The rider had expected the route to be quiet as it was closed due to a sinkhole opening up, however he knew he could get past on his bike safely without issue. While the victim was "left for dead", bleeding and "not knowing if I was going to die", Morse hid his car at a nearby industrial estate and later lied to the police and said he had sold the vehicle.

Two runners heard the screams of the injured cyclist and he was airlifted to Derriford Hospital where his broken tibia and fibula were operated on.

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Police were able to match plastic trim from a fog light, found at the scene, to Morse's Range Rover. He was also seen on CCTV driving the vehicle, prompting officers to park near his home where he was seen walking past and "hiding his face".

The driver repeatedly lied to officers, telling them he had sold the vehicle and that a key for the vehicle they found was just "a spare key". He later admitted hitting a cyclist but said the collision was caused by the victim coming out "straight in front of him". He also claimed dash cam footage would confirm this account, although police officers did not find a camera.

Judge Simon Carr accused the driver of "the most breathtaking cowardice" and suggested he "would rather someone had died than be held responsible for your actions".

"You would have known immediately what you had done and displayed the most breathtaking cowardice to leave someone," the judge told the court. "You would rather someone had died than be held responsible for your actions – because if someone hadn't come along and been able to help him, that could have been the outcome.

"Your thoughts are only for yourself and for nobody else. You have minimised your involvement and sought to blame others. This is a young man whose life has been changed forever. However he recovers from the physical and psychological impact, there will never be a complete recovery. You did that and you left him in the road like that."

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When it came to handing down the sentence, however, the judge banned Morse from driving for two years and ordered a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. The driver must also pay £1,636 in costs and complete 300 hours of unpaid work. It was also reported that the process of seeking compensation for the victim through insurance companies is underway.

The Falmouth Packet reports the judge told the court the current state of the prison service, namely overcrowding, and Morse's age (56) needed to be considered when sentencing him for causing serious injury by careless driving.

A victim impact statement was heard, the teenager saying he "can't get over how someone could hit a cyclist and leave them at the side of the road not knowing if they are dead or alive".

"I feel I've lost my independence and my confidence," the statement began. "I've never experienced anxiety before but now feel anxious most of the time. I can't get over how someone could hit a cyclist and leave them at the side of the road not knowing if they are dead or alive.

"I feel physically changed, not just by the injuries but the failing to stop and being left for dead. Left in the road, bleeding, not knowing if I was going to die."