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Bexley video attacker sentenced

Nicholls receives fines and costs totalling £600

John Nicholls, the man who attacked cyclist Simon Page in an incident that was captured on a helmet camera, today pleaded guilty to a charge of common assault at Bexley Magistrates Court.

Nicholls, a farrier of Dartford in Kent, was fined £400, ordered to pay £100 compensation to the victim, £85 prosecution costs and a victim surcharge of £15.

After the CID at Bexley police station had failed to make progress in the case - despite the evidence of the assault complete with a car registration number - Simon turned to road.cc to help enlist the support of the cycling community, and ultimately the wider British public, in tracking down his assailant.

His account of the incident posted on our forum with a link to the video footage on Youtube, and our related news story were picked up by national, and even international media (an RTL news crew interviewed Simon for German TV)  and the widespread coverage eventually led to the perpetrator handing himself in to police.

Today Simon said: “I’m satisfied that justice is being carried out and if that’s what the magistrates felt was appropriate then I’m fine with that. The £100 compensation will go straight into my charity coffers!”

Nicholls was given credit for pleading guilty and accordingly his fine was discounted by  one third.
 

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13 comments

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SimpleSimon | 12 years ago
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I think what galls me now, is that the Police press release says "I would like to praise ... my officers for taking quick and decisive action to identify and arrest the suspect."  39

Dear DS Williams, the Police could not find the "Bexley Basher" and it was only after the media storm that he handed himself in! So what exactly was the "quick and decisive action" ?

I don't want this incident to turn into Police bashing, as I am sure they did what they could with the constraints and pressures they have on them. However they should tell it like it is.

I am pleased that the public and the media were able to help the Police. It shows that "people power" can work to catch those who break the law.

As to sentencing, I did inform the court that although the man handed himself in, it was only after intense media pressure. He could have done so immediately after the event in mid-May. However, the case is closed and Mr Nicholls and his chums will hopefully think twice before behaving like that again.

If and when the compensation is received, it will indeed go to the Livingstone Tanzania Trust for who I cycled from London to Paris in 23 hours (http://www.bmycharity.com/l2p24). So far only the German TV company has made a contribution to the coffers  3

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Stumps | 12 years ago
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As a serving cop in Northumbria please dont tar us all with the same brush as many a scribe on these pages has.
I for one work damn hard and all i get is verbal abuse, physical abuse, spat on and then complained about if some dip s*** does not get the result they want.

AND to top it all some pen pushing nobody in London has decided i get paid to much (less than the papers and Govt make out) and have to take a pay cut and pay more for my pension.

I'm in no way sticking up for the Met and if a copper has done wrong so be it.............  14

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dullard | 12 years ago
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The most worrying aspect of this is not that it happened - nutters are all over, I'm afraid, and some even ride bikes - or the fine which is in line with what you get for common assault. It's the fuck-awful attitude of plod that's shocking. They just couldn't give a shit because it'd mean they'd have to do some work. Mind you, given the corruption that seems rife in the MPS following the News International expose, maybe we can expect no better.

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stuartpeck1 replied to dullard | 12 years ago
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dullard wrote:

The most worrying aspect of this is not that it happened - nutters are all over, I'm afraid, and some even ride bikes - or the fine which is in line with what you get for common assault. It's the fuck-awful attitude of plod that's shocking. They just couldn't give a shit because it'd mean they'd have to do some work. Mind you, given the corruption that seems rife in the MPS following the News International expose, maybe we can expect no better.

Dullard by name...

There are things that go on that, just because you don't read about them in the press, doesn't mean they don't happen. Do you not think for one minute that the police have checked out the car owner, or have question all related to the incident. I can imagine there is endless checking and double checking for evidence before something goes to court. When Rebekah Brooks talked off "paying police for evidence" i don't think somehow she was talking about PC Bobby at the local 'nick, do you?

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stuartpeck1 | 12 years ago
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I think we should appreciate that Simon in fact has agreed that his sentence and subsequent fines were suitable. Although what the 'Bexley Basher' did was wrong, inexcusable and utmost illegal, we should bear in mind that it is case closed. I believe justice to be wrong in a lot of cases and especially when fines are lowered, even halved in this case because the offender chose to plea guilty. Fines should be based on the crime and not on his or her behavior after said crime. The tenacity of Simon and a lot of people on this board have found the guy, he has been arrested and consequently fined - This alone is a victory.

I believe you may decide whatever tactics you see fit in order to find these people who decide to recklessly go around breaking the law, ( contacting employers etc...)I don't however think it fair to want to slur his character further. He has committed a crime and he has been brought to book for his actions. Whether the sentence fits the crime is another debate all together.

Kudos to Simon for giving his compensation to Charity. The charity he was raising money for when this whole thing started i assume.

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Stumps | 12 years ago
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You might find that the car owner has been summonsed to court or arrested and cautioned / charged for the offence and will be at court on a later date.

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chris75018 | 12 years ago
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I like the reference to a "friendly, reliable service" on his website - doesn't look that friendly to me... and wouldn't you expect someone who works with horses to be a bit more tolerant of other road users?!?

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bobalicious | 12 years ago
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Okay then... who's going to be the first to complain to the Farriers Registration Council to make the point that this man clearly is not fit to practice?

Just pointing out that there website is at:

www.farrier-reg.gov.uk

If he'd attacked me - I'd certainly be doing that.

I'd also be getting in touch with the Worshipful Company of Farriers:

http://www.wcf.org.uk/contact_us

Purely out of interest, the only other thing I'd like to see is the whole video - i.e. what was the incident that clearly wound up the people in the car so badly?

If no video is available, I suppose we could always ask Mr Nicholls Dip WCF himself:

http://jjfarriers.co.uk/contactus.html

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OldRidgeback | 12 years ago
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I agree with the previous posts - either the guy was guilty of taking the car without the owner's consent and also driving without insurance in addition to the assault, or the owner was lying and is guilty of obstruction. The cops have not covered themselves in glory in this case.

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euanlindsay | 12 years ago
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Question is, what about the owner of the car?

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timlennon replied to euanlindsay | 12 years ago
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euanlindsay wrote:

Question is, what about the owner of the car?

(What he said)

Or in fact of the lame initial Police investigation? I'd be making a complaint into how it was handled.

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Fixedwheelnut replied to timlennon | 12 years ago
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timlennon wrote:
euanlindsay wrote:

Question is, what about the owner of the car?

(What he said)

Or in fact of the lame initial Police investigation? I'd be making a complaint into how it was handled.

What they said, was the car stolen? why no charge for that?
If not why is the owner not charged with obstruction?

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cavasta replied to euanlindsay | 12 years ago
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euanlindsay wrote:

Question is, what about the owner of the car?

The real question is: why is this dangerous fuckwit still walking the streets, where he's at liberty to assault anyone else he doesn't like the look of?

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