A 21-YEAR-old cyclist has been jailed after he caused the death of a 73-year-old Droitwich woman when he knocked her over in a busy pedestrianised street.

Daryl Gittoes was seen weaving through pedestrians in Commerical Street, Hereford, on an unroadworthy BMX-style scrap bike with no brakes he had picked out a of a skip, Worcester Crown Court heard.

He had been warned by police before not to ride the bike through the area between 10.30am and 4.30pm when all vehicles were banned, Christopher Lester, prosecuting, told the court.

But on the day of the tragic accident, July 30 last year, he was seen on CCTV footage shown to the court at about 3pm riding along the busy street as crowds walked past the market stalls.

Mary Evans had gone with her friend from her home in Droitwich to visit a sewing shop in Hereford and they were on their way back to the railway station when Gittoes tried to ride between them, Mr Lester said. Mrs Evans was knocked over and could not break her fall. Her head hit the pavement, fracturing her skull and she died from her injuries in hospital eight days later.

Gittoes, of the Homestead, Hereford, pleaded guilty to wilful misconduct while riding the bike, a charge with a maximum sentence of two years.

John Dyer, defending, said the incident was a "tragedy”. Gittoes had been intending to repair the bike but did not have enough money to fix the brakes as his jobseeker's allowance had been sanctioned. He now had a job collecting glasses in a club and was doing well in his shared accommodation with the help of youth workers.

He knew he should not have been riding in the area at the time and he is genuinely remorseful, Mr Dyer said.

He had written a letter of apology to Robert Evans, who was married to Mrs Evans for 52 years and who sat in court for the sentencing with members of his family.

The couple met at the age of 16 and had three children and five grandchildren and, the court heard, they had "plans and dreams" for their retirement. Mrs Evans had worked as a district nurse in Droitwich and Bromsgrove and also volunteered in charity shops. In a victim personal statement, Mr Evans said he was now moving forward but he would never recover fully without his wife.

He said he was not looking for revenge or retribution but to know that the proceedings were at an end.

Judge Abbas Mithani, QC, said Gittoes knew what he was doing was unlawful.

"There were so many pedestrians there an accident must have been foreseeable," he said. "It does not take a very great impact for serious injury to be caused, or in this case a fatality."

He said it was clear from signs that the area was out of bounds when it was at its busiest.

"I know you are utterly devastated," he told Gittoes. "This death was directly caused by you and it will haunt you for the rest of your life."

Gittoes, a father-of-one with eleven previous convictions, was jailed for 12 months.

FAMILY STATEMENT

The family of Mary Evans called for greater control of cyclists in pedestrianised areas after the trial.

In a statement, they said the family was glad that court proceedings had been concluded and they now wish to continue to grieve the "tragic and quite unnecessary passing" in private.

"We truly hope that lessons have been learnt and that reckless cyclists riding in pedestrianised shopping areas can be controlled by the authorities for the safety of all," the statement said.

Their views were backed up by Judge Abbas Mithani, QC, in his sentencing remarks.

"There is good reason for the general and specific bans imposed on cyclists in our towns and cities," he said. "It is not just because they are a nuisance and annoyance, it is because they cause a serious risk of harm, or in this case, even death."