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news
South London cyclist attacker right and companion.jpgViolent video assault goes viral
We’ve started a few lively debates here at road.cc but it’s fair to say that we haven’t seen anything going viral to the extent of our story about the violent assault on road.cc forum poster Simon Page.
We’ve had over 18,000 page views for the item and the YouTube clip of the incident, the link for which was first posted on our forum, will shortly pass the 50,000 views point.
Not that in reading the coverage on the BBC, the Evening Standard or on the Daily Mail websites, you’d have much of an idea about the source of the story. Unlike road.cc’s policy of posting a link back to the original item when we cover a story from elsewhere, none of those media outlets have felt the need to share the link love, (though some have seen fit to lift quotes from this site without so much as a 'by your leave'.)
But leaving aside issues of journalistic etiquette – not to mention common courtesy – what the extensive coverage has clearly demonstrated, is a shared revulsion among most members of the public for a completely unjustified assault on a cyclist. Those sentiments are compounded by a frustration bordering on outrage that the police have, after nearly two months, so far failed to make any arrests in the case despite the clarity of the video evidence.
And that video evidence must by now have been seen by hundreds of thousands of people, given that at one point this morning the BBC London news report on the story was the second most viewed video item on the BBC news site, ahead of video clips about the new Harry Potter film, the Beckhams’ baby-naming decision and Hugh Grant's views on News International.
As for progress in the case itself, we have asked the Metropolitan Police whether any names have been put forward for the offenders and what, if any, action is being taken to assist the registered keep of the car identified in the clip to remember who might conceivably have borrowed the vehicle on the day in question, assuming that it wasn’t stolen and returned.
We hope to bring you their responses shortly.
Latest Comments
- ktache 11 min 30 sec ago
The small frame, the aggressive posture, lots of standover height.
- mctrials23 1 hour 7 min ago
As i've said before, the police should be sued for a lot of money when someone they have knowingly ignored has gone on to commit a serious crime....
- David9694 1 hour 14 min ago
'Bad parking' blocks firefighters multiple times on same emergency call-out...
- David9694 1 hour 18 min ago
Cambridgeshire boy, 13, crashes Audi into garden wall after taking it from home...
- Adam Sutton 2 hours 4 min ago
Good stuff. Now do it on cycleway C9 through Hammersmith to Chiswick.
- mark1a 2 hours 13 min ago
It's technically allowed but it's not known as "London's Orbital Car Park" for nothing.
- Dogless 3 hours 21 min ago
You're defending bombing hospitals and refugee camps and starving children.
- mattw 6 hours 1 min ago
Used car salesman is a complete attention-seeking plank....
- tubasti 6 hours 18 min ago
I don't know if they're any better, but they's certainly become more boring.
- FionaJJ 6 hours 44 min ago
At risk of being cynical, and stereotyping the police, it's so they don't have to leave the comfort of their panda cars and pursue on foot when...
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17 comments
Nice one, that's great news
thanks rbx we're on it - Simon just called to tell us too
This looks hopeful. Lets hope it is the 'Bexley Brute' and he is charged.
Brilliant news. Innocent until proven of course.....
Just saw this:
"Man arrested over cyclist road rage attack in Bexley"
over here:
http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/9139998.UPDATE__Man_arrested_over_cycl...
If it's true, great to finally see some action being taken!
Good to see this generated so much coverage, hopefully leading to the arrest of the driver and passenger.
Maybe this also might embarrass the Police into taking this kind of thing more seriously and not just trying to fob off the victim.
On the not crediting where they got the story from I wasn't surprised. The Mail were lifting stories from the Guido Fawkes blog and printing them without credit a few months back.
Unless I am told any different the silence from the Transport Minister/local MP/Councillors and even CTC is deafening. This is unfortunately not an isolated incident but has received national printed press coverage largely due to Roadcc and Youtube. We need to continue to highlight these idiotic and frightening peoples actions if the attitude of the public at large is to change. I get the feeling the average Sun reader will probably feel the thug in the car had some justification because people who wear lycra and ride a bike are, well a bit weird. Why not pay £1.40 at the pump and drive to the shops/school/work and back each day. Sadly the Government's decision to cull Cycling England and the wider lack of coordinated non-car travel networks is indicative of their apathy/opposition to cyclists (I don't count Dave as a cyclist)
@SimpleSimon - I have a feeling that only applies to road traffic offences rather than, for example, an assault outside of the vehicle, the idea being that you are liable for the use of your car unless it was stolen or you identify who it was.
But surely with the widespread coverage (and the nice clear footage) it cant be long until someone identifies this idiot?
Got to say though, the Sun did a good job of capturing those stills from the video, if he can't be identified from them…
I was impressed by that too, although the above pic makes the two look like a fat Olly Murs on the left and Patrick McGuinness in Max and Paddy's road to nowhere
I'm still wondering why the Police haven't looked at the registered owners driving license and studied all the video and pictures and put 2+2 together. Or is that too easy
it is amazing at how lax the police are, I wonder what kind of crime needs to be committed before they actually do their job. They are too busy taking media backhanders and whining about their bloated final salary pensions.
Apparently:
. If an allegation is made against the driver of the vehicle, the Police have an obligation to serve a Notice of Intended Prosecution on the registered keeper. By doing so, they then shift the burden of identification to the keeper. Consequently, if you make an allegation against the driver of the vehicle, the Police should then force the registered keeper to identify the driver. If, for whatever reason, he is unable to do so, they can prosecute the registered keeper for failing to identify which would result in 6 penalty points and a fine up to £1,000. You should certainly be applying pressure to the Police to prosecute the registered keeper as normally, this would result in the person “recalling”
who they lent the vehicle to. Indeed, you may also wish to suggest to the Police that as the registered keeper does not know who was driving, how can they prove that that person was insured? If they cannot, the registered keeper can also be prosecuted for allowing an uninsured driver to use the vehicle. Again, that could result in penalty points and a fine so, again, it is likely that those threats will result in the keeper recalling the identity of the person who was driving.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3693420/Road-rage-thug-hits-cy...
Suprised they haven't hacked the vehicle owner's voicemail, bet that would get a quick result
looking at the pics The Sun lifted, the police should perhaps concentrate their enquiries on left-handed men. That'll narrow it down a bit for them.
It's surely particularly apposite with the current furore that we should have so little difficulty in finding examples of such poor journalistic etiquette. But then, I reckon road.cc hacked the phones of the original poster
What do you expect from journalists? Whilst there are exceptions in any profession, as a group they generally rank alongside politicians and estate agents for dishonesty.
That's normal for BBC. Moan at them and they'll probably attribute it.