A tipper truck driver with previous motoring offences on his record who killed a cyclist in Fulham when he failed to spot him while attempting to turn left has avoided jail, instead being sentenced to 18 months in custody suspended for two years and 150 hours of unpaid work. The judge – sentencing 47-year-old Tristan Renshaw nearly four years after the incident in December 2022 – also handed down a 12-month driving ban.
The BBC and the Standard report that Renshaw, from Staines, was travelling in the same direction as 60-year-old Ukrainian national Zinovly Savyulak on North End Road in Fulham, west London, before he crashed into him when trying to turn left. The Old Bailey heard that Renshaw was unaware that he had hit Savyulak until a bystander made him aware and his victim’s screams could be heard.
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Renshaw claimed that lighting was poor on the day, and also said the victim’s dark clothing contributed to his failure to spot him. The prosecution disagreed, however, saying the cyclist should have been visible from Renshaw’s mirrors, and that he failed to make adequate checks.
The jury did not accept Renshaw’s explanation either, and he was convicted of causing death by careless driving.
Judge Philip Katz KC told Renshaw he had avoided prison “by the skin of your teeth”, noting that he had already spent a month on remand which should send a “clear message to you of where you nearly ended up today”. He also accepted that Renshaw appeared remorseful.
“The fact is you simply did not see Mr Savyulak and that is not a defence”, said the judge.
“I am sure you made no final check in your mirror. You did not see Mr Savyulak because you did not check properly a final time before you turned left.”
Renshaw was sentenced to 18 months in prison suspended for two years, 150 hours of unpaid work, and a 12-month driving ban, meaning he will be free to drive again in August 2027. The judge also commented that the time taken to bring the case to trial was not “acceptable” or “justified”, saying the impact on the victim’s widow had been “severe”, while praising her “grace, dignity and composure”
Saying her life had “completely changed” due to the psychological and financial impact of losing her husband, Mr Savyulak’s widow said in her victim impact statement: “The defendant and his family are also facing major problems and are under a lot of stress right now. I have no right to judge anyone, because that’s life and we never know what lies ahead. That’s what the judicial system is for, and it will decide everything.”
It emerged in court that Renshaw had previous convictions for driving-related crimes dating back to 1997, including driving while disqualified and taking a vehicle without consent. According to the Standard, Renshaw had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and autism, and had struggled with alcohol and drugs in the past.
2 thoughts on “Tipper truck driver with previous motoring convictions who killed cyclist in London avoids prison ‘by the skin of his teeth’ after trial that took more than three years to reach court”
Leaving aside the joke sentence, how on earth did someone with a history of mental problems, substance abuse and serious crime involving motor vehicles manage to obtain a licence and then employment driving the most dangerous vehicle on the road? Who did the vetting and when are they resigning?
My deepest condolences to the family and friends of Zinovly Savyulak.