London cabbie accused of ‘using car as weapon’ cleared

A London black cab driver who was accused of using his car as a weapon during a road rage attack has been cleared by a jury at the Old Bailey, reports the London Evening Standard. Daniel Wentworth collided with James Williams shortly after the cyclist made a hand gesture at him and had been accused of deliberately ramming him.

CCTV footage showed Wentworth pulling out suddenly as he tried to turn into Lower Thames Street at about 7.30pm on January 9 last year. In so doing, he blocked the bike lane and forced the cyclist to swerve around him.

Willliams was then seen making a hand gesture. Prosecutor William Gatward told the court that Wentworth had become enraged at this and had followed before ramming him. Wentworth said he had intended to pull alongside Mr Williams to speak to him and "calm the situation" because he didn't know what was going on.

Earlier today, a London van driver who knocked a woman off her bike shortly after she gave him a V-sign was found guilty of careless driving. Dennis Baker, who spoke 'disparagingly' about cyclists in interview, veered into Alison Kempster as she set off from traffic lights shortly after beeping his horn at her. Kempster believed that he had done it deliberately.

When stopped by a motorcyclist and told that he had knocked a cyclist off her bike, Baker said: "Really, did I? Did she not run into me?" He claimed that while he heard a bang, he assumed he had driven over a manhole cover.

Baker was fined £550, ordered to pay £1,000 compensation, £1,550 in court costs and was given five points on his driving licence. He was cleared of the more serious charge of dangerous driving.