"It was accepted that, despite Mr Blackwood's advanced age and frailty, he would not have died in the manner he did had he not been hit. This led to the manslaughter charge, in what the Crown Prosecution Service described as a 'legal first'."
"Speaking outside court, she said it was a historic judgment which has a wider impact that cyclists can no longer endanger pedestrians with impunity. Everyone has to realise that it is illegal to go off-road, and that illegality will be punished."
"She said the introduction of e-bikes has made walking in public spaces dangerous to the point of becoming a lottery. Maidstone Crown Court heard how Cage told police in a voluntary interview in July that he began cycling on the pavement along City Way, Rochester, after two near misses with cars."
Clifford Cage was sentenced to 15 months in prison, suspended for two years, for the manslaughter of 91-year-old Jim Blackwood. Cage struck Blackwood with his e-bike while riding on a pavement in Rochester on 6 July 2023. Blackwood was hospitalized but died three months later on 13 October. The court accepted that Blackwood would not have died had he not been hit, leading to the manslaughter charge described as a legal first. Judge Julian Smith noted Blackwood suffered significantly in his final months. The victim's daughter, Christine White, emphasized the historic nature of the judgment and called for cyclists to stop riding on pavements, warning that e-bikes have made public spaces dangerously unpredictable.
Read at www.independent.co.uk
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