Lady Risk fined after hitting Edinburgh cyclist

The 90-year-old wife of the former Governor of the Bank of Scotland was told by a court she can continue driving, having mown down a cyclist in Edinburgh.

Lady Suzanne Risk smashed into 40-year-old Robert Benn after she failed to see him at a junction.

The victim, who had been wearing high-visibility clothing, was taken to hospital and treated for internal bleeding.

Lady Risk appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court with her 88 year-old husband, Sir Thomas, who retired as the head of BOS in 1991.

She admitted driving without due care or attention and accepted she was at fault for the crash. However, she set out a 20-minute plea to the court asking to be allowed to carry on driving, despite confessing to her “frailty”.

The court heard that since the October 1 accident last year, she questioned her own fitness to drive so undertook two eye tests and sat two driving tests, according to The Scotsman.

And the pensioner did so well at the tests that she was “knocking at the door” of full membership of the Institute of Advanced Motorists, her lawyer claimed.

Sheriff James Scott was persuaded that Lady Risk was not a risk to the public and fined her £200 and put six penalty points on her licence, which had been unblemished since she started driving before the Second World War.

Lady Risk offered to pay compensation to Mr Benn, but the Sheriff refused.

She had been driving towards her home in Inverleith Place last October. She drove into the cyclist “when it appeared safe,” according to Fiscal Depute Neil Allan.