A cyclist kicked off his bike by a another rider on a busy London street has expressed his disappointment that his assailant only received a caution.
Raphael Carrondo was attacked as he rode along London's Victoria Embankment on August 6. He only sustained cuts and bruises, but could easily have ended up under a coach.
He posted his bike cam video of the attack on YouTube:
After he complained to the Evening Standard that police did not seem to be taking the case seriously, the Met tracked down the other rider.
He told the Standard's Rachel Blundy: "Shortly after the story went out and the YouTube clip went viral the police started investigating. They found the person. A member of the public came forward and said they recognised the rider. They asked him to come in for an interview and he was cautioned afterwards.
"I was expecting a little bit more than a caution but if that is what the police think should be done then that is ok. I was hoping he might have to do some community work."
The 32-year-old sales and marketing consultant, originally from Brazil, previously said he had posted the video when police told him they could not afford the resources to track down the BMXer if he didn't know who he was.
He said: "The next day I say, 'If the police can't do anything, I can.' This is something that probably happens every day, that kid probably did something to someone else. With social media as it is today we can find someone doing the wrong thing."
Carrondo was shocked at the level of abuse he was subjected to after posting the video.
He said: "What I wasn't expecting was that when I put it online, that the wrong became me. Everybody was trying to justify why the kid would react like this."
Despite the online abuse and the incident itself, Carrondo has carried on riding.
He said: "I never stopped – I have kept cycling. I had to because it is how I commute to work."
The Metropolitan Police said they had contacted Mr Carrondo after watching footage of the attack.
A spokesman said: "In late October, when officers from the Roads and Transport Policing Command's Cycle Task Force became aware of the footage of the incident on 6 August, they contacted the victim and launched an investigation.
"On 11 November a 19-year-old man was arrested at his home address in south London, in connection with the investigation. He was later bailed pending further enquiries.
"On 24 November the 19-year-old man accepted a caution for common assault."
42 thoughts on “Cyclist disappointed at police caution for BMX rider who kicked him off bike in rush hour traffic”
The result was a caution. I
The result was a caution. I don’t condone the assault that was very dangerous, but Carrondo had cut the guy up unmercifully. I guess the guy had the old red mist descend on him.
It’s bad enough the motorised traffic cutting us up and not passing with care. Let’s not do that to eachother. Then we won’t have cyclists knocking each other off bikes.
Caution for assault means he had no record. That’s the usual form in altercations like this deemed to be one offs. Fair result.
oozaveared wrote:Carrondo had
Apart from being a lie, this is also not justification. Holding your line when others are being dicks around you is just something you have to do sometimes.
bikeboy76 wrote:oozaveared
Well I don’t think it is a lie or I wouldn’t have written it. You can clearly see the other cyclist moving out into the road to pass the bus. Corrondo makes no adjustment to his line whatsoever to allow that. In my book that’s being bloody minded. If a car did that to you you’d be furious. If you were moving into a lane to pass stationary vehicles and a car neither slowed or moved across in any way but just relentlessly kept it’s line to pass the vehicles then you’d be annoyed to say the least.
I don’t agree with the assault in any way. But Carrondo was at the least being bloody minded. I can see why the BMXer was miffed.
oozaveared wrote:Well I don’t
You idiot. First, the video already states he was looking over his shoulder and didn’t see the BMX twat. Second, the BMX twat was overtaking on the inside and attempting to cut Corrondo up.
Third, if I attempted to drive like the BMX rider, I wouldn’t be furious, I’d be an idiot – which is also what you are.
oozaveared wrote:The result
That’s bullshit. There is no excuse for a deliberate and dangerous assault. You’re saying that a belief of wrongdoing is justification? Imagine a driver shoving someone off their bike because if some minor infraction, would that be justified? Would you consider it a fair result if you were the victim of a vicious and dangerous assault, and the guy got a caution?
oozaveared wrote:Carrondo had
No. The BMX rider undertook, then when his lane was blocked thought he should be able to push back infront.
Right of way exists for Carronodo, the BMXer needed to give way, you can’t just push in like that with a car, so why is a bike any different?
With out knowing the road situation you’re not in a position to pass comment that Carrondo should have let him in, and you’re also having the benefit of watching the video to look out for the BMXer with out having to concentrate on the road and traffic.
Typical of the Police, “Did
Typical of the Police, “Did you know the murderer?
“No”
“Well in that case we haven’t got the
Resources”
A criminal assault took place, isn’t that good enough reason?
Every time I see this I am
Every time I see this I am amazed at the skill level of the BMX rider, its a beautiful move! I don’t think I could do what he did without a fair bit of practice.
Part of me thinks that this is just a bit of rough and tumble and the guy the who shot the video should just suck it up and put it down to experience. Don’t cut people up and they probably won’t kick your wheels about, we get taught not to tell tales at school.
The other side of me regrets that the punishment in this country is generally in line with the damage caused (grazes), not the potential damage (run over and killed by a bus). This kind of violence has no place on our streets.
I can imagine many countries where the police would simply laugh at you, the fact the police did anything at all says the country we live in is a pretty nice place all-in-all.
P3t3 wrote:
Part of me thinks
Are you serious? Because this reads like you think that kicking someone’s wheel about is a reasonable response to not getting your way.
The victim didn’t cut him up. The guy on the BMX put himself in a crap position and then lashed out when nobody else sorted it out for him. No excuse.
Chuck wrote:
Are you serious?
No, you are right it wasn’t a reasonable response.
But these things happen all the time, its how life works with selfish irrational creatures like humans. Especially in the young, inexperienced and impetuous like the rider of the BMX. Just because the BMX rider made a “mistake” (or whatever you want to call it, I agree it was a poorly thought out move) coming down the left and side doesn’t mean that the guy making the film can’t adjust his line and make allowances. I don’t know exactly where he was looking as I wasn’t there, but I don’t believe he had his eyes off the road ahead for as long as he is suggesting in the video. We also don’t now what happened in the time before the video clip.
See my next paragraph for some of my further thoughts on the matter, you may see life as a series of black/white yes/no “no excuses” situations but I don’t.
I think a caution was probably about right in this case – enough to give the BMX rider something to think about without removing his chances in life. He might, given time start to be more considerate.
P3t3 wrote: Just because the
Yes, he *could* adjust. That doesn’t mean he has *any* obligation to do so, for whatever reason.
Likely, given the traffic on the right-hand lane, it didn’t seem safe to do so.
Alternatively, Carrondo was appropriately paying attention to the right-hand lane in anticipation of going around the bus in front of him.
There’s actually no reason for him to pay any particular attention to his left, as no traffic would normally come from there *and into his path of travel*, as it’s in fact not a legal move…
jacknorell wrote:P3t3 wrote:
and there you go right there. could have been a nice guy and let the bmxer get past the bus but stood on his rights. Kept his line “I’m alright jack”.
And everyday that’s what makes the roads more unpleasant. A bit or courtesy doesn’t hurt anyone. Matthew 7:12
oozaveared wrote:
and there
Pretty surprised to see you ignoring the possibility that the man assaulted did not deliberately squeeze the bmxer. In the text in the video it explicitly claims that he was shoulder-checking to the right, ironically to make sure that he was not pulling out into traffic.
Accusing the man kicked off his bicycle of not being “nice” is unsupported.
I always wonder at the amount of victim blaming that goes on in any of these cases. I can only guess that it is a way of reassuring the commenter that it could not possibly happen to themself.
Let’s hope you’re not kicked off your bicycle by someone who’s temporarily on a BMX while their Honda Civic is in the shop getting a spoiler installed. You might find it galling that you’re assumed to have brought it on yourself by not being nice.
P3t3 wrote:
See my next
I sure don’t see life as a series of black and white events, and any “cutting up” shown in the video is actually a pretty good example of that.
But the guy on the BMX kicked someone’s front wheel out from under them in response for a few seconds inconvenience. And yes, my view of people that think like that is pretty black and white.
P3t3 wrote:Chuck wrote:
Are
No, you are right it wasn’t a reasonable response.
But these things happen all the time, its how life works with selfish irrational creatures like humans. Especially in the young, inexperienced and impetuous like the rider of the BMX. Just because the BMX rider made a “mistake” (or whatever you want to call it, I agree it was a poorly thought out move) coming down the left and side doesn’t mean that the guy making the film can’t adjust his line and make allowances. I don’t know exactly where he was looking as I wasn’t there, but I don’t believe he had his eyes off the road ahead for as long as he is suggesting in the video. We also don’t now what happened in the time before the video clip.
See my next paragraph for some of my further thoughts on the matter, you may see life as a series of black/white yes/no “no excuses” situations but I don’t.
I think a caution was probably about right in this case – enough to give the BMX rider something to think about without removing his chances in life. He might, given time start to be more considerate.— Chuck
Well at least there are two of us arguing that courtesy and bit of respect go a long way to reducing friction on the road. As vulnerable road users I tend to think that’s in all of our interests.
He didn’t cut him up. Watch
He didn’t cut him up. Watch the video. The BMX overtakes on the LEFT and then tries to cut in front of the road bike. Upset that he wasn’t able to, he then kicks him off. What a fucking cunt.
My concern about this, is
My concern about this, is that it’s not the first time this has been the result. Those with good memories may recall this incident from the start of the year, which road.cc also reported on – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKfGIAIeLYY
To summarise, it’s a motorcyclist annoyed with a cyclist taking primary in atrocious weather, and trying to kick his front wheel out. The outcome wasn’t even a caution, it was a warning letter.
I don’t care about the arguments about provocation. To me they are an irrelevance. I want to know that the law can deter people from attacking me on the road where the potential for injury is enormous, and on the balance of these high profile incidents it doesn’t appear to.
I agree with Domino, he
I agree with Domino, he probably didn’t even notice he was there and probably looking over his right shoulder to move out to overtake the bus, you don’t really expect a bike to undertake you in that situation, the Bmxer should of realised that, backed off slightly then overtake him after they passed the bus.
And the Police wonder why
And the Police wonder why there is so little respect for them out there. I think the Police do a very hard job in very hard circumstances, but FFS when the Assault is in HD Video for them clearly showing the intent all they had to do was charge the guy, fill in the forms, hand it over to the CPS and sit back and wait for him to plead guilty. It really don’t get any easier for them. Its a poor show.
Das wrote:And the Police
Nah, still too much effort for them – unless of course the assailant used hurtful or insulting language!
Das wrote:And the Police
the whole idea of a caution (it’s not a telling off) is that the person must admit their crime and agree to be bound over. It gets you a criminal record and that stays on the system. It’s a guilty plea without having to bother the court.
The aims of the formal police caution are:
1 to offer a proportionate response to low level offending where the offender has admitted the offence;
2 to deliver swift, simple and effective justice that carries a deterrent effect;
3 to record an individual’s criminal conduct for possible reference in future criminal proceedings or in criminal record or other similar checks;
4 to reduce the likelihood of re-offending;
5 to increase the amount of time officers spend dealing with more serious crime and reduce the amount of time police officers spend completing paperwork and attending court, whilst simultaneously reducing the burden on the courts.
Das wrote:And the Police
It’s the CPS that are often the bigger problem. Part of the reason why the Police now use cautions so heavily is because they know the CPS won’t take up a case after they’ve invested the time preparing it for them.
Das wrote:And the Police
CPS would have gone down the Caution route, they would have had to be consulted on this case if it was deemed an ABH, Common Assault allegation would have led to Police being able to issue a caution if offender had no previous for like offences.
Wouldn’t have got anywhere near Court, rightly or wrongly.
The victim would have had to agree to the offender being issued a caution, so would have known the outcome.
DivineChorus wrote:The victim
Well, the victim is *meant to* know about it. There have been quite a few times where that’s not been the case even for much more serious offences.
Das wrote:And the Police
CPS would have gone down the Caution route, they would have had to be consulted on this case if it was deemed an ABH, Common Assault allegation would have led to Police being able to issue a caution if offender had no previous for like offences.
Wouldn’t have got anywhere near Court, rightly or wrongly.
The victim would have had to agree to the offender being issued a caution, so would have known the outcome.
Good the BMXer got a caution.
Good the BMXer got a caution. We’ve all had the red mist descend at times. The guy on the BMX should have moved to the left to move around the bus earlier anyway. The roadie did nothing to deserve a kick to the front wheel. Luckily no-one was seriously hurt.
And I’m a BMXer mind.
Quote:You can clearly see the
No that’s called The Law. You are entitled to hold your current line and the person moving into the flow of traffic must give way. This applies even to motorway slip roads, technically you would have to stop if no-one let you in.
You don’ t know why Corrondo didn’t move, it might be because he didn’t feel it was safe to move, couldn’t move, was concentrating on something else or was just bloody minded. That is why it is the responsibility of the person joining the flow of traffic to give way
@oozaveared
@P3t3
No, he
@oozaveared
@P3t3
No, he didn’t ‘cut up’ the BMXer. He held his line while in traffic, while the BMXer was trying to undertake and simply push his way through. If it had been a taxi, you’d have recognised this move as a ‘black cab special’.
But apparently it’s OK while riding, but not while driving?
FFS.
Your justification of that seems to lend support for the following assault as well. The BMXer was a douche all the way through.
Clearly, even the police thought it serious enough, once prodded to investigate, to issue a caution following an arrest.
Carrondo’s riding was both legal, and as he *should ride* per the Highway Code.
This is the second time this discussion has been had, and it’s as bothersome to see cyclists make excuses for dangerous behaviour each time.
jacknorell
sorry but at no time did I justify the assault ever under any circumstances. My point is that whilst the BMX er is in the wrong Carrondo could have given him a bit of room. Of course you don’t have to. But you could.
oozaveared wrote:sorry but at
Apologies, you’re right. I read more into it than I should have.
I think Carrondo was likely focused on his own line, and staying safe, and as such fully cognitively occupied already. It’s nice to be nice, but personally I’d rather simply focus on staying safe, being nice is a very distant second to that.
http://road.cc/sites/all/modu
http://road.cc/sites/all/modules/smileys/packs/Yahoo!/clap.gif oozaveared is correct in their definition of a ‘caution’. However, the issue of a caution would indicate that the accused has no previous history of THIS type of offence. The accused will have a criminal record and this caution can be highlighted to the courts should they come to notice for similar offences in the NEAR future.
As has been mentioned elsewhere, the only offence relative to assaults under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 that has a specific ‘intent’ is ‘GBH with intent’ i.e. intent to murder. Consequently the Common Assault offence could have been arrived at by the CPS deciding the evidence didn’t reach THEIR threshold test for ABH, particularly relative to the actual injuries received.
What does surprise me is that there is no mention of a Criminal Damage offence here! The BMX rider is clearly reckless as to whether damage would be caused or not and I’m sure some damage was caused to the other riders bike.
To lay matters to rest. The Highway Code gives three places where it is permissible to overtake on the left hand side. This is not one of them! The BMX rider has no road sense, probably never even lifted up a copy of the Highway Code, and his riding clearly leaves a lot to be desired.
If other riders can’t take
If other riders can’t take things like this seriously how do we expect the rest of society to, including the police. Anyone who believes it is ok to kick out at a rider even worse with the potential of putting a person under a bus must be a very unfortunate person. Bmx, lorry or taxi to punish a rider by knocking them off there bike can never be right.
If the bus had pulled out and killed the guy would that be ok?
It’s pretty clear Carrondo
It’s pretty clear Carrondo never cut the guy up. I’ve seen it happen a few times (all bmxers funnily enough, but I’m not saying anything) when some mouth-breathing rocket shoots up the inside, assuming he’s going to get clear before the gap he’s aiming for closes (already a dick move in the first place) then, when they find out they were wrong and horror of horrors have to get back in line, they chuck the toys out the pram as if they’re the ones who’ve somehow been wronged. The first anyone else gets to see or hear of it is when the dick starts effing and blinding.
All the excuses and
All the excuses and ‘justifications’ for the BMX’er kicking the guys wheel out are ridiculous. We wonder why the ‘youth’ of today won’t accept responsibility for their actions and it is bulls**t like any excuse for a petulant, dangerous and just plan f**king nasty actions like that which reinforce the belief that they are never ever wrong and anything MUST be someone else’s fault. Even the victim of their vicious and dangerous assault must be to blame because he didn’t make allowances for their fukwitted behaviour.
Just think about that – next time a cyclist gets run over and killed, imagine the driver’s response being “its their fault they didn’t move out of my way when I decided I wanted to pass so I ran them over and killed them” That (in an extreme version) is the line your argument sounds like its going from here. But then, I would probably not expect a BMX to come up the inside and try and jump out there so would have been repeatedly glancing over my right shoulder and back to the road in front of me, not to the left.
Not one to promote any
Not one to promote any violence, but that BMX rider deserves an earth shattering slap! A caution is probably the right decision, hopefully he learnt his lesson. Cyclists who undertake on the left put themselves and other road users in danger… end of story
Some people here are clearly
Some people here are clearly retarded.
I often have to pass stationary buses on my commute. I don’t just blindly swerve around them and expect whoever’s on my right to magic themselves out of the way. I look behind and see if there’s room for me to pull out. Ideally when there’s still some room between me and the bus. It’s nice when the cars see that I need to go around the stationary bus and either move further to the right or hold back to let me pass. But if that doesn’t happen I wait – stopping if I need to – until there’s an opening in the traffic allowing me to pass the bus. And I don’t go chasing down the cars that didn’t allow me through to take revenge on them.
The BMX rider is completely in the wrong and a massive cunt to boot.
Just an observation. Why has
Just an observation. Why has the victim cyclist been repeatedly named and criticised and yet we don’t know the name of the BMXer who knocked him off?
The BMX rider is in the
The BMX rider is in the wrong. It’s a stupid and dangerous place to try and undertake another cyclist. From the way he kicked the front wheel of the victim’s bike and the sheer speed of the action, it’s fairly obvious to me he’s done this before. A well practiced maneuver I think. He would have known the likely result of his actions. He’s lucky to have got away with a caution. I know what I’d have done if I’d caught up with him again.
Reggie Plate wrote:The BMX
Agreed that the BMX is totally in the wrong but lets not jump to conclusions about ‘well practiced manovoures’. Getting a leg out like that on a BMX is easy enough for most of us (BMXers). There’s nothing here to suggest that he’s a repeat offender.
Let’s just imagine what
Let’s just imagine what happens when the BMXer gets a car…
*shudder*
Good guy/ Wank
you decide.
Good guy/ Wank
you decide.
Just stop with the excuses
Just stop with the excuses and tolerance for the BMX rider.
This was Common Law assault, possible property damage and dangerous negligence which could have cause serious injury or death, so the BMX rider was completely in the wrong and due some punishment; he is lucky that he is not facing serious criminal and/or civil action, because he’d lose!