Thread by @velobetty

So...I'm on the train home. Long day and exhausting. Was on the stand for over an hour and a large part of that was cross-examination by the defence. The defence lawyer was really good, more on that in a while. The prosecution was good too although there had been a mistake…

…made in the charges that it was listed as one road but that road turns into another road. So on a technicality that part was ignored. So we were really left with the start of the incident which was just an attempted close-pass on the inside. For this the magistrates…

…didn't think it was below a reasonable standard of driving (I'll upload later, you be the judge) as the defendant claimed she thought I was going to turn right. I was in primary position and travelling at speed. Also another clanger; the defence put a lot into this right turn…

…however afterwards it was pointed there is a no right turn there. The defendant, in my opinion, didn't tell the truth. They may well have not recollected it correctly but it was not truthful. Most of this was picked up on but when you're left with only a part of the story…

…that story needs to be 💯 and it wasn't. The defence lawyer asked me a lot about how often I report things. I mentioned I'd started when I'd been knocked off my bike and the guy drove off. In summing up he sort of inferred that I was doing this because of me experiences…

…not because the driver had done anything wrong.

So, it wasn't great. A procedural error meant the driver didn't really need to account for most of the incident and also how can you talk to a court room about what primary position is when they've never heard of it.

My summing up: I expected this. I expected nothing when I was hit and left on the road with a broken hand. I expect nothing from any of the reports I make. But I'm still going to do them because today a court room heard the experiences of a person riding a bicycle in London.

Also I hope that even though they've been found not guilty, that the defendant starts respecting other road users and understands the responsibility and risk she bears.

Oh, and one more thing...the defence lawyer. I'm sure I recognised him.

I have this sneaky feeling...

That he's a cyclist.

Oh, I forgot to say, that "more on that later".

The defendant was a lawyer.