Pavement cyclist who hit toddler in incident captured on CCTV handed fine for dangerous cycling

A cyclist who was captured on CCTV hitting a toddler while riding on the pavement has been fined after admitting dangerous cycling. The footage, in which three-year-old Lucie Wilding is seen being dragged along the floor after getting caught by Andrew Holland’s bike, received widespread media attention earlier in the year with one newspaper branding Holland ‘the most callous cyclist in Britain’.

The Lytham St Annes Express reports that Holland pleaded guilty to riding a bicycle dangerously at Lancaster Magistrates Court and was ordered to pay a total of £829 in fines and costs.

Describing the footage, Mike Wallbank, prosecuting, said:

“At about 3.10pm on May 18 you saw Lauren Howarth come out of the house where she lived and it was her intention to check everything was clear for her partner to go out to the car. You then see Lucie step out onto the pavement where she is hit and dragged along. You then see the mother’s partner jump over the wall. He collects her and takes her straight to the car. Her face was covered in blood and she was taken straight to A&E.”

Holland had previously said that he apologised moments after the incident and also emailed the family subsequently. Leaving court, he again said he had written to the family to apologise, but this is denied by Lucie's parents.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, Lucie’s mum, Lauren Howarth said:

“Since this incident my daughter suffers from anxiety, especially when leaving the house. She refuses to walk to the car and has to be carried. Every time she sees a bike now she runs to me and wants ‘up’.

“She used to have nightmares about it and would wake up screaming. The incident has knocked her confidence. She used to do ballet every Saturday but now it is a struggle to get her up to do it.”

Deputy District Judge Pam Baldwin told Holland:

"You have admitted you rode a bicycle in a manner that falls below that of a competent cyclist. You were riding on a pavement in a residential area and the footage shows the road condition was of no danger to you. There was no indication that you slowed the vehicle or took evasive action. It was very lucky indeed the child avoided very serious injury."

Holland has claimed that media coverage of the incident led to his being verbally attacked and threatened by members of the public and that his life had been ‘destroyed’ since the footage was released.

Under section 28 of the Road Traffic Act 1991, "a person is to be regarded as riding dangerously if (and only if) (a) the way he rides falls far below what would be expected of a competent and careful cyclist, and (b) it would be obvious to a competent and careful cyclist that riding in that way would be dangerous."

Holland said he had been cycling on the pavement because the roads were busy with school traffic, and added: “I didn’t know it was illegal. I usually use cycle paths or the roads.”