Morgan was found guilty of cycling without due care and attention after a trial at Bromley Magistrates’ Court, during which he behaved aggressively towards both Mr Ibbott and a police witness
A cyclist who crashed into a pedestrian on a zebra crossing – causing him life-changing injuries – has been let off with a fine of just £430.
Courier Niall Morgan, 29, ploughed into hedge fund executive Gary Ibbott, 54, in London’s Piccadilly, which resulted in him suffering a brain haemorrhage.
Mr Ibbott’s injuries were so severe he had to stand down as a chief financial officer and partner of the hedge fund Cheyne Capital Management.
Morgan was found guilty of cycling without due care and attention after a trial at Bromley Magistrates’ Court, during which he behaved aggressively towards both Mr Ibbott and a police witness.
At one stage, he was warned by District Judge Catherine Moore he would be excluded from proceedings, which would then be held in his absence, as security officers were called into court.
After being convicted, Morgan, who is now unemployed and in receipt of disability benefit, turned to Mr Ibbott to shout: ‘I have no money – you can’t get blood out of a stone.’
He was ordered to pay the fine at £10 a fortnight, starting next week.
Victim Gary Ibott and his wife arrive back at Bromley Magistrates’ Court. Mr Ibbott’s injuries were so severe he had to stand down as a chief financial officer and partner of the hedge fund Cheyne Capital Management
Mr Ibbott had been walking across a pedestrian crossing in St James’s, central London, at 8.45am on March 6, 2017, when he was struck by Morgan, who was weaving through traffic working as a cycle courier.
Kate Seal, prosecuting, told the court: ‘The Crown say that the standard of Morgan’s cycling fell well below the standard of a careful and competent cyclist.’
Mr Ibbott was taken to hospital where he was found to have suffered a string of serious injuries. But Morgan – who represented himself in court – maintained the crash was a ‘minor unavoidable accident’.
The case echoes that of 20-year-old cyclist courier Charlie Alliston, who was sentenced to 18 months in a young offenders’ institution after being convicted of causing bodily harm through ‘wanton and furious driving’.
Alliston’s track bike – which had no front brake – ploughed into mother of two Kim Briggs, 54, in London’s Old Street. She died a week later.
Giving evidence in Morgan’s case, PC Gary Hamilton told how he and colleague Stephen Jackson were called to the scene of the accident within minutes.
When the officer spoke to the cyclist, he said he had been travelling southwards and had seen three people on the crossing – but not Mr Ibbott.
Morgan, who lives in a council flat in Chelsea, admitted he had suffered from epilepsy in the past and had been treated for some mental health problems. Morgan is pictured earlier this month
PC Hamilton made a statement a few days later in which he noted Morgan was ‘not easy to talk to’ and appeared to have some mental health issues.
Morgan cross-examined the officer and denied having said what he did at the scene.
Morgan, who lives in a council flat in Chelsea, admitted he had suffered from epilepsy in the past and had been treated for some mental health problems.
After a hearing earlier this month, the judge retired for 30 minutes before returning to court to tell the court: ‘A competent and careful cyclist would not have approached the crossing in the way he did – for this reason I find Mr Morgan guilty.’
In an impact statement he read personally to the court as his wife Susan looked on, Mr Ibbott, from Stansted, near Sevenoaks, Kent, said: ‘I have suffered from memory loss ever since. To this day I have not had an apology from Mr Morgan.’
Keith Barrett, of the law firm Fieldfisher, which represents Mr Ibbott, said it had issued proceedings against Morgan in the High Court to secure compensation for his victim. Mr Barrett said this would not be necessary if cyclists were insured.
Campaigners argue that cycling laws should be brought into line with those for powered vehicles.