http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Today's rubbish sentencing en Sun, 01 Nov 2026 23:44:59 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18501&page=10#post-386336 Fri, 30 Oct 2026 12:40:54 +0000 chdot 386336@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Sentence due Monday </p> <p>“</p> <p>Man who ran over cyclist and dragged him under car for a mile convicted of murder</p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/oct/30/cyclist-murder-manchester-simon-richardson-michael-mullins" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/oct/30/cyclist-murder-manchester-simon-richardson-michael-mullins</a></p> <p>Hard read </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18501&page=10#post-386317 Wed, 28 Oct 2026 23:19:42 +0000 Murun Buchstansangur 386317@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>edinburghcyclecam - for what it's worth, and AFAIK, the "6 month time limit for driving offences" only relates to the COPFS initiating criminal proceedings with the court (what is called in England and Wales "laying papers before the court"). That is purely a paperwork process (in E&amp;W neither the court summons needs to be sent to the defendant, nor the first hearing held, before 6 months are up, as long as the papers are before the court). No idea if things are different in Scotland, but it does sound like COPFS met the 6 month date for commencing proceedings.</p> <p>Therefore completely unhinged indeed for COPFS not to seek a warrant. Was the driver's surname Sturgeon or something :)</p> <p>Please do shame Ratho Coaches as much as possible - I've had 'negative interactions' with their vehicles also. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18501&page=10#post-386315 Wed, 28 Oct 2026 19:35:20 +0000 gembo 386315@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Partly the criminal justice system has filled the prisons so is now letting criminals walk/ Ratho is gentrifying now so not turning up to a summons is something that most residents wouldn’t do. Not turning up to a summons used to be treated very seriously, with the con going on the run etc?</p> <p>Partly a person is assaulted to risk of life Actual Bodily Harm. Jail for the criminal ah wait was the victim on a bicycle, that is different - you can walk free and show no remorse. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18501&page=10#post-386313 Wed, 28 Oct 2026 18:46:21 +0000 Frenchy 386313@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Infuriating just reading that, let alone being on the receiving end. I thought "Got off with it by simply not answering the door for six months whenever the police knocked" was bad enough. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18501&page=10#post-386310 Wed, 28 Oct 2026 13:27:23 +0000 EdinburghCycleCam 386310@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>This is probably as good a thread as any...</p> <p>Back in March this year on my commute home from work, I had a Ratho Coaches driver honking at me then close passing me and forcing me to the kerb on Craigmillar Park. I wasn't in the cycle lane because as many of you know, those cycle lanes are full of pot-holes and parked cars, I was keeping up with traffic the whole way, and the last time I used the cycle lane there I was left-hooked and required hospital treatment (stitches in my elbow) and the police refused to charge the driver, claiming that I was undertaking the driver.</p> <p>Anyway, the coach driver of course stopped in traffic 50m down the road and I quickly caught up with them and "had words" with him. The driver took his phone out and started videoing me or taking a picture or something - the police refused to charge him for using his phone, and begrudgingly charged him with careless driving. The police also let me know that the driver wanted to press charges against me for banging (once) on his window, but was told that wasn't going to happen.</p> <p>I was in court on Friday last week for an unrelated close pass from a PHV driver (Which was also thrown out after I waited several hours in the witness room - I'm waiting to find out why), and I checked the COPFS Witness Gateway while I was waiting, to review my police statement. I noticed that the Ratho Coaches case was marked "The case has been closed", and had to email COPFS to find out why.</p> <p>They got back to me yesterday and said that (translated from legalese) they summoned the driver to court in September and he never showed up. Because it was a "non-imprisonable offence" (A driving offence) and because the 6 month time limit for driving offences had expired, they decided that issuing a warrant wasn't justified, and instead that just letting the driver walk with no punishment was the sensible option.</p> <p>I've submitted a COPFS complaint, because that sounds absolutely unhinged to me, and I was also sufficiently rule 2'd off that I didn't do my usual thing of posting the video on YouTube, and instead have contacted the media; Martin at SWD Media (who I've given a few videos to in the past) last night, and he's already emailed COPFS with some very well written questions about what the threshold is to get away with anything, and when the 6 month time limit actually ends, considering the accused had already been sent a summons.<br /> He's also written to Ratho Coaches for a statement in an extremely satisfyingly worded email ("the verified video footage documents severe proximity risks during a commercial service", etc), mentioning (as I already told Martin) that I've had a previous incident with a Ratho Coaches driver at the same time and location in the past - potentially from the same driver - which I emailed a complaint about and had no response of any kind.</p> <p>Both emails have a requested response of 5pm tomorrow, so I expect that'll be getting sent out on/for Friday morning. I expect it'll be getting sold to the S*n and Daily Heil and the like, for the comment sections to be filled with "he should have been in the bike lane", but hopefully the driver at least gets a bollocking from his boss.</p> <p>tl;dr: Rubbish sentencing: No sentence at all because the driver just didn't bother turning up. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18501&page=10#post-386303 Wed, 28 Oct 2026 09:23:16 +0000 LaidBack 386303@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>If the victim had stood in front of the car as a pedestrian the assailant would have been jailed I reckon.<br /> The addition of a bike seemed to cloud the judgement. It really is outrageous particularly as it was all avoidable. The assailant's partner just stood there and got in the car afterwards.<br /> The injured cyclist was still blocking their way but they just drove off. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18501&page=10#post-386294 Tue, 27 Oct 2026 20:42:26 +0000 Murun Buchstansangur 386294@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The STV reporter had harsher words for him than the sheriff! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18501&page=10#post-386292 Tue, 27 Oct 2026 18:34:42 +0000 mcairney 386292@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Absolutely disgusting comments from him, the fact he has avoided jail just shows how deep the anti-cycling rhetoric runs in this country.<br /> I guarantee if someone assaulted the judge and put him in hospital they would end up with 10 years in jail. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18501&page=9#post-386290 Tue, 27 Oct 2026 15:49:21 +0000 Murun Buchstansangur 386290@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Guy above has now done an entirely unrepentant interview outside the court so congratulations Sheriff Fergus Thomson :rollseyes:</p> <p>Also not a driving offence so no ban :rollseyesagain:</p> <p><a href="https://news.stv.tv/east-central/driver-who-left-cyclist-with-brain-injury-following-road-rage-incident-avoids-jail" rel="nofollow">https://news.stv.tv/east-central/driver-who-left-cyclist-with-brain-injury-following-road-rage-incident-avoids-jail</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18501&page=9#post-386289 Tue, 27 Oct 2026 15:10:05 +0000 mcairney 386289@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"Zhihang Lin, 32, forced a vehicle to crash into a central reservation barrier after swerving his black Mercedes car into the fast lane of the dual carriageway while driving at 70mph."</p> <p>I'm being pedantic but there's no such thing as a 'fast lane', they are overtaking lanes! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18501&page=9#post-386287 Tue, 27 Oct 2026 14:36:29 +0000 chdot 386287@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>Defence agent Cameron Tait said his client has been living in the UK since 2013 and is employed by a travel agency as a people carrier driver.</p> <p>Mr Tait asked the court for leniency as Lin would lose his employment if a driving ban was imposed.</p> <p>Sheriff Ferguson agreed to the motion and marked the offence by issuing Lin with eight penalty points and fined him a total of £580.</p> <p>The sheriff said: “I appreciate this happened probably in a split second. You made an error to pull out in the way that you did and it was extremely fortunate no one was badly injured.”</p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/east-lothian-a1-high-speed-34822145" rel="nofollow">https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/east-lothian-a1-high-speed-34822145</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18501&page=9#post-386285 Tue, 27 Oct 2026 14:30:07 +0000 mcairney 386285@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Of course it raises the perennial question, what does a driver have to do to end up in prison? Bludgeon someone to death with a cricket bat they've got sitting in the boot? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18501&page=9#post-386284 Tue, 27 Oct 2026 13:38:11 +0000 gembo 386284@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Alternative to custodial sentence by the narrowest of margins. FFS Masonic Margins? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18501&page=9#post-386283 Tue, 27 Oct 2026 13:07:20 +0000 Murun Buchstansangur 386283@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"A driver who left a cyclist with a fractured skull and bleed on the brain in a "violent and unprovoked attack" has been given a two-year supervision order.</p> <p>Joseph Hedley, 39, assaulted Iain Brown, 34, following an altercation in Edinburgh's Cowgate in September 2024."</p> <p><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c63elww8djj1o" rel="nofollow">https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c63elww8djj1o</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18501&page=9#post-384771 Thu, 18 Jun 2026 18:30:30 +0000 chdot 384771@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/edinburgh-driver-jailed-car-attack-8749048" rel="nofollow">https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/edinburgh-driver-jailed-car-attack-8749048</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18501&page=9#post-380699 Thu, 21 Aug 2025 14:12:12 +0000 chdot 380699@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>Wallace was sentenced to carry out 133 hours of unpaid work in the community and banned from driving for 12 months </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/courts/bin-lorry-driver-who-caused-death-of-edinburgh-schoolboy-thomas-wong-avoids-jail-5283195" rel="nofollow">https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/courts/bin-lorry-driver-who-caused-death-of-edinburgh-schoolboy-thomas-wong-avoids-jail-5283195</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18501&page=9#post-373463 Sun, 18 Feb 2024 21:53:09 +0000 Tulyar 373463@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The offences of CDDD and CDCD came in in the 1950's or 1960's to 'soften the stigma for all those drivers facing manslaughter charges, and to possibly ease the burden on courts?</p> <p>I'd like to see killing people with cars treated in exactly the same way as killing people with any other machinery or objects - make all uniformly manslaughter unless the case can clearly be proved as murder (ie action with intent to kill)</p> <p>Not sure if Roman Law applying in Scotland, and several Traffic Laws separately defined, and applied for Scotland, woul mean that the Scottish Parliament can make such changes in Scotland</p> <p>It would be great if we could press change forwards through MSP's and Scottish Laws</p> <p>Some detail may need UK wide delivery</p> <p>One which might work could be to use Section 97 of Roads Scotland Act 1984 to argue that cycle deliveries (mainly fast food riders using illegal electric mopeds) and the sub 3.5 Ton vans used for supermarket deliveries, plus online orders, are classed as 'street trading' (commercial use of public roads) and Just Eat, Uber Eats, Deliveroo, Amazon, Yodel, Zedify, Delivery Mates, Evri etc all need to have a licence and keep records of vehicles and drivers operating for them, directly or as contractors</p> <p>Class B licences might move toward the same system as Class C,D,E licences where the divers have a 'tacho card' that is unique to the driver, and can limit the ability to drive a vehicle, as well as recording hours driven &amp; speeds etc. Some Class D drivers (National Express contractors) have to do a breath test (Alco-Lock) before they can restart a coach to drive after a stop (this after a couple of notorious incidents with drivers of overnight services pulled over with passengers on board and over alcohol limit)</p> <p>For most modern cars with electronic vehicle management systems the retro enabling of speed controls, and driver i/d required to drive is possible, if the will is there (or law demands it...) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18501&page=9#post-373379 Tue, 13 Feb 2024 17:21:49 +0000 chdot 373379@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://road.cc/content/news/violent-driver-avoids-jail-deliberately-rammed-cyclist-306715" rel="nofollow">https://road.cc/content/news/violent-driver-avoids-jail-deliberately-rammed-cyclist-306715</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18501&page=9#post-372884 Mon, 15 Jan 2024 11:08:54 +0000 chdot 372884@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>A jury has found a delivery driver not guilty of causing death by careless driving following a trial that centred around the defence that the accused was unable to see the cyclist killed due to glare from the low sun.</p> <p>Christopher Morrison was found not guilty at Peterhead Sheriff Court on Friday</p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://road.cc/content/news/delivery-driver-who-hit-cyclist-found-not-guilty-306185" rel="nofollow">https://road.cc/content/news/delivery-driver-who-hit-cyclist-found-not-guilty-306185</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18501&page=9#post-372673 Tue, 02 Jan 2024 18:43:46 +0000 chdot 372673@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Don’t know about rubbish sentencing. </p> <p>Highlights difference between ‘deliberate’ and ‘only an accident, could happen to anyone’…</p> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/jan/02/cheshire-woman-found-guilty-of-after-running-over-fiance-in-fiesta" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/jan/02/cheshire-woman-found-guilty-of-after-running-over-fiance-in-fiesta</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18501&page=9#post-372589 Fri, 29 Dec 2023 13:46:49 +0000 Murun Buchstansangur 372589@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>There seems little logic or consistency to sentencing of driving offences</p> <p>Contrast the above with</p> <p><a href="https://road.cc/content/news/speeding-drug-driver-avoids-jail-killing-cyclist-304839" rel="nofollow">https://road.cc/content/news/speeding-drug-driver-avoids-jail-killing-cyclist-304839</a></p> <p>Death of victim, drink &amp; drugs ingested, speeding = suspended sentence </p> <p><a href="https://road.cc/content/news/suspended-sentence-farce-says-family-killed-cyclist-300423" rel="nofollow">https://road.cc/content/news/suspended-sentence-farce-says-family-killed-cyclist-300423</a></p> <p>Death of victim, pleaded not guilty, victim blaming = suspended sentence </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18501&page=9#post-372588 Fri, 29 Dec 2023 12:27:51 +0000 chdot 372588@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://www.west-midlands.police.uk/news/driver-jailed-year-causing-horror-crash-cyclist" rel="nofollow">https://www.west-midlands.police.uk/news/driver-jailed-year-causing-horror-crash-cyclist</a></p> <p>I won’t link to the bits of Twitter that say ‘shouldn’t have been jailed for an accident’… </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18501&page=9#post-372575 Thu, 28 Dec 2023 11:09:49 +0000 edinburgh87 372575@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'll bet! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18501&page=9#post-372572 Wed, 27 Dec 2023 19:39:23 +0000 gembo 372572@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>A pal of mine, has a brother out that way - Tyninghame. Small community, big seismic shock to the community. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18501&page=9#post-372571 Wed, 27 Dec 2023 19:14:27 +0000 edinburgh87 372571@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Glad to hear it! Didn’t make connection on first reading. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18501&page=9#post-372568 Wed, 27 Dec 2023 18:40:35 +0000 gembo 372568@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>He ain’t no relation of mine Rosco. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18501&page=9#post-372558 Wed, 27 Dec 2023 12:57:37 +0000 edinburgh87 372558@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>A “throw away the key” job I think</p> <p><a href="https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/east-lothian-driver-who-caused-28352241" rel="nofollow">https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/east-lothian-driver-who-caused-28352241</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18501&page=9#post-372555 Wed, 27 Dec 2023 10:54:39 +0000 chdot 372555@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>A Lanarkshire grandmother who was freed from prison after colliding in her car with a mother and three children at a pedestrian crossing was told she is going back to jail today.</p> <p>Appeal judges rejected a legal challenge by Melanie Grierson against a one year term imposed on her in October after she was convicted of driving dangerously resulting in serious injury to the woman and one child and injury to the two other victims.</p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/lanarkshire-gran-freed-prison-after-28297884" rel="nofollow">https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/lanarkshire-gran-freed-prison-after-28297884</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18501&page=9#post-372160 Sun, 10 Dec 2023 22:39:42 +0000 chdot 372160@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://road.cc/content/news/motorist-racially-abused-and-reversed-cyclists-305589" rel="nofollow">https://road.cc/content/news/motorist-racially-abused-and-reversed-cyclists-305589</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18501&page=9#post-372151 Sat, 09 Dec 2023 16:19:33 +0000 Frenchy 372151@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>How does an electronic tag monitor abstaining from drinking? </em></p> <p>By measuring the wearer's sweat. <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-56583153">BBC article from when they were piloted.</a> </p>