Dorset Police are appealing for information after a cyclist allegedly threatened to stab a driver in Poole. The threat is said to have come after the motorist challenged her, believing that she was about to run a red light.
The incident occurred on Bournemouth Road at approximately 8.50am on Thursday December 7.
It is reported that the female cyclist verbally abused the driver – a local woman in her 40s – kicked and punched her black Honda CRV, attempted to rip its wing mirror off and then opened the passenger door and slammed it shut.
When the lights turned to green the victim drove away and then pulled over to examine her car. The suspect is alleged to have again approached the victim, producing a small pointed item from ‘a compartment on the bike’ and threatening to stab the woman. She also rammed her bike into her.
Police have released a photo of the suspect, who was riding a turquoise-coloured mountain bike and wearing a blue helmet and thermal head cover, trainers, black leggings and a dark pink jacket.
Police Constable Conor Valentine, of the traffic unit, said: “I am appealing to anyone who witnessed any part of this incident to please contact Dorset Police.
“I am issuing a photo of the cyclist which was taken as she rode away and I would ask her, or anyone who knows who she is, to please come forward so we can fully investigate this incident.
“Finally, I would ask any motorists who were travelling in the area at the relevant time and have dash cam fitted in their vehicles to contact us if they have captured the incident.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Dorset Police at www.dorset.police.uk, via email at 101@dorset.pnn.police.uk or by calling 101, quoting occurrence number 55170189886.
Alternatively you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org.
44 thoughts on “Cyclist alleged to have made stab threats to driver who suspected she was going to run red light”
Cathy Wiggins.
Cathy Wiggins.
Yorkshire wallet wrote:
Haha Love it!
How can you believe someone
How can you believe someone is going to run a red light and does she challenge every car doing 31 or more in a 30 zone? Must be a busy lady…
alansmurphy wrote:
The cyclist must have gone over a stop line.
I’ve seen cyclists do it before and put themselves in a position where they can’t see the lights change or can be hit by a turning vehicle.
When cars do it in my area they tend to do it at narrower junctions where traffic moves slower, and block buses from turning. I’ve seen some p*ssed off bus drivers but they don’t threaten to kill the old – and it is normally old – git who has done it.
Doesn’t matter anyway simply ignoring the driver or her to go forth and multiple would be sufficient. I do this to anyone who tells me to ride in the door zone.
Bluebug wrote:
If beyond the stop line the driver is likely to say she jumped a red light if she was over the stop line. If the rider was ahead, what could the driver do to prevent a dangerous act, which I assume is what she was trying to do.
As with others I don’t quite believe this account. I’d wager the rider was filtering and the driver attempted to block or passed and squeezed either gesticulating or with the window down shouting. “I behaved aggressively with a tonne of metal and was told to fuck off” doesn’t quite work as a story though…
alansmurphy wrote:
If beyond the stop line the driver is likely to say she jumped a red light if she was over the stop line. If the rider was ahead, what could the driver do to prevent a dangerous act, which I assume is what she was trying to do.
As with others I don’t quite believe this account. I’d wager the rider was filtering and the driver attempted to block or passed and squeezed either gesticulating or with the window down shouting. “I behaved aggressively with a tonne of metal and was told to fuck off” doesn’t quite work as a story though…— alansmurphy
It is the later alleged threat with an object that could be a knife, but is probably a multi-tool, mini-pump or a CO2 cannister, which is why the police are interested.
They don’t normally give a feck if two people have an argument.
Seems it is best to threaten to lamp someone with your bike lock there and then if you are do inclined as it isn’t premeditated, rather than stopping and threatening them later with something in your saddle bag.
…and so it begins
…and so it begins
Whereas if you complain to
Whereas if you complain to the Police that a motorist has threatened to kill you they will take no action whatsoever. I’ve been threatened with death or serious injury so many times I’ve lost count.
Sadly I’ve now felt it necessary to defile my bike with front & rear cameras.
Sub4 wrote:
Me too. But Hampshire Police are still not interested. They won’t even review the footage if no collision has occurred.
Sub4 wrote:
Same here. Given a recent experience I have made the decision to never ride without cameras again.
With the disappearance of traffic police from the roads and such stretched resources, the deterrent has all but gone. It sometimes feels like the Wild West out there. Sadly the only tool left is the threat of ubiquitous CCTV (if the police would take it as evidence).
Something doesn’t quite ring
Something doesn’t quite ring true here.
Did the driver rush to overtake the cyclist and then use her car as a weapon to block the road to prevent the rider filtering ahead at the lights?
It’s a common action of many drivers and seems plausible for if the rider had room to filter they would have been equal to the front bumper and ahead of the part of the car where the claimed damage and door opening took place.
Wouldn’t justify what happened but may give a truer context.
billymansell wrote:
I completely agree. Methinks the driver is not telling the whole story here.
portec wrote:
Perhaps the driver works for the CPS and considers withholding information the new normal.
Neither are Essex Police.
Neither are Essex Police. Look at this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz_c6UH9Ev8
“Not enough evidence” they said. He’s not a roadie. He’s got a disability and rides a sit-up-and-beg bike. Rammed off his bike for daring to ride on the road.
matthewn5 wrote:
That, makes my blood boil. A disgrace.
matthewn5 wrote:
I would have thought that your friend has a couple more courses of action – I viewed the video and it seems that the driver has admitted liability, paying for damage to bike.
My understanding is that if your friend were to sue in small claims for assult then the driver would not have a defence – having admitted that he did it and their being video evidence. The burden of proof in a civill claim is much lower than a criminal claim and he admitted liability at a criminal level. I do not know whether the police action would limit any claim, but given that it was without your friend’s authority I would have though that it would not – a solicitor would know. Any here know?
The driver seems to be wearing a martial arts club/organisation logo – it’s a ying yang symbol with an image of a man superimposed, though I could not make out the writing. Also with the way he was bouncing around in a prepared state I would reckon karate (shotakan?), tai kwon do or kick boxing. Martial arts bodies take a dim view of one of their members attacking someone who is not a threat. I would fully expect to have that licence taken away.
Essex police 0 fucks given
Essex police 0 fucks given towards cyclists!
Wtf?!
Wtf?!
I was cycling home one day and a lady driving a rather nice Audi pulled out right in front of me on an a-road (but stopped halfway when she realised I was there). She then pulled alongside me, swerved at me, revved and beeped and, in a hail of profanities, told me she was going to kill me and run me over.
I immediately stopped (once the car had gone), called 999, gave the registration and was told it wasn’t a 999 incident. So I apologised and called police 101. Long story short, they took my details and my account of the incident, before long I got another call saying they weren’t going to pursue anything.
Don’t get me wrong, the incident in this article should be investigated by the police – I just wish they’d treat death threats and aggression towards cyclists the same way they do if it were towards motorists. The local police (Avon & Somerset) seem to be all over hate crime cases against homosexuals and ethnic minorities, but don’t seem to care if it’s against cyclists (having reported 5 incidents in the last year – death threats, stuff thrown at me, swerved into, passengers trying to hit me with various items).
wellsprop wrote:
If I manage to stay awake long enough, or don’t wake up with the hangover that I suspect is brewing as I type, I may well have started the UK Ethnic Homosexual (and mainly cycling) Club.
Don’t tell my wife (beard) if I do.
wellsprop wrote:
Get yourself a rainbow jersey.
I think there’s a bit more to
I think there’s a bit more to this than the driver is saying. Mind you, it’s pretty impressive that she works for the pre-traffic-crimes department (I hadn’t realised that department was up and running yet…).
Every cyclist in Dorset
Every cyclist in Dorset should now contact PC Conor Valentine of the traffic unit reporting every single incident of close passes, threats of violence, abuse etc.
I assume of course that they’ll be issuing the same appeals for information as they have done here? The local paper would probably require an extra dozen pages to accommodate them all.
I think there’s a lot more to this story than the harmless innocent driver’s side of things…
This helmet-wearer is giving
This helmet-wearer is giving all of us helmet-wearers a bad name.
Ush wrote:
Let alone what she does to all of us shoe-wearers
This is why all drivers
This is why all drivers should be legally-obligated to wear stab-proof vests.
This story does have a strong
This story does have a strong whiff about it.
I wonder do helmets make
I wonder do helmets make cyclists that wear them more aggressive?
Ush wrote:
During the summer (maybe a week or so in England) I sometimes get a hot-head whilst wearing a helmet.
Ush wrote:
Probably the hi-viz. Being constantly clad in loud, angry colours perhaps has a tendency to make one loud and angry. There’s a reason why people are rarely beaten up by Goths.
Bluebug wrote:
Indeed. It appears she’s a talented cyclist. Nearly jumping a red light, hearing a driver tut, getting off her bike, removing tools from a saddle bag and going through a mime; all in the time a concerned and careful driver passed nice and wide at 28mph…
“Finally, I would ask any
“Finally, I would ask any motorists who were travelling in the area at the relevant time and have dash cam fitted in their vehicles to contact us if they have captured the incident.”
So dashcam footage is OK as evidence, however footage from cyclists is not enough evidence. Rank hypocrisy, as others have said, I think someone is being economical with the truth here.
Funny how the Police won’t do anything when drivers use their vehicle as a weapon.
Also hope they are going to have a word with the driver of the burgundy car in the pic, looks like a close pass
martib wrote:
it’s not just hypocrisy it breaks their sworn oath to not show bias/discrimination in their duties to keep the peace. How you police one incident you must do the same for others. If you take into account the relative threat and known outcomes of motorvehicle drivers hurting others (so breach f the peace) then the police by definiton of not acting on vid footage by people on bikes yet wanting to rely on vid footage for something like this means they are breaking their oath and showing discrimination and not being impartial, not showing integrity or fairness or indeed upholding human rights and equal respect.
A reminder of the oath/attestation.
I. … of … do solemnly and sincerely declare and affirm that I will well and truly serve the Queen in the office of constable, with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality, upholding fundamental
human rights and according equal respect to all people; and that I will, to the best of my power, cause the peace to be kept and preserved and prevent all offences against people and property; and that while I continue to hold the said office I will to the best of my skill and knowledge discharge all the duties thereof faithfully according to law.”
It’s just wild prejudice, but
It’s just wild prejudice, but this person has a helmet, a hi viz cover for her rucksack and is carrying tools. Just not the sort I would expect to go ape shit crazy for no reason , as is the driver’s story.
I’m outraged at this.
I’m outraged at this.
Helmet?
Hi viz?
These items need to be banned with immediate effect.
Also plod, take a good look at yourselves, no one was hurt, there were no witnesses and no recorded evidence. Just treat it in the same way you’d treat the victim of a close pass.
don simon wrote:
+1.
Whole thing sounds to me very much like going to the police to get theior own “woe is me” story in before the cyclist actually comes along to make a report of a close pass and road rage. Local paper will love it cos it’s an anti-cyclist story so a bit of sympathy press for the driver. Regardless of how true it is. By the time the real story comes out (if it ever does) all anyone will remember is the “assaulted by cyclist” story and that will equal “it’s OK for me to close pass them in revenge” mindset. 🙁
So, point an object at
So, point an object at someone and it all gets taken very seriously because, I presume, it’s considered dangerous?
Perhaps someone can explain to me why is a wing mirror on an Audi TT traveling at over 30mph that misssed me by a few cm not considered by the Dorset Police to be dangerous enough to take any action?
PapaSmurf wrote:
Go and ask them!
Quote:
thats a very partisan way of saying the motorist used their vehicle to deliberately cut off a filtering cyclist
not to condone the cyclist behaviour but would appear that one angry commuter provoked another using quite a large weapon and failed to successfully make their point
“Believing she was about to
“Believing she was about to run a red light” – so, *didn’t* run a red light?
“a compartment on her bike” – what is that, exactly? Is that a pocket on her jacket, a pocket on her panniers/saddlebag, or was she using those special bar end storage thingies?
brooksby wrote:
Yeah, I read this as some busy twat in one of those ubiquitous SUV things had a go at a cyclist in case they did something that the driver didn’t like.
They had a row.
The driver then went to the police. Now this is a busy twat who has a go at people who *might* be about to do something and then runs to plod when it doesn’t go her way. Chances of her version of events being accurate? 0.00%
The police are outraged that the cyclist didn’t just know her place and accept abuse for not actually doing anything wrong yet. They appeal for footage of this menace to society in case other drivers suffer the affrontery of the possibility that she might break other rules, and then turn things into a row when busy twats have a go at her for not doing anything wrong yet.
The Alliston effect again.
The Alliston effect again. One cyclist behaving in a threatening manner, probably justifiably, is far more important, newsworthy and worth police time than the thousands of assaults and threats by drivers.
I fully expect the forthcoming government review about cycling and the law to quote this case many times, whilst ignoring the behaviour of drivers.
I think the next time I get
I think the next time I get cut up, close passed, left hooked etc etc and I’ve recorded it on my cameras I will make stabbing actions at the offender in the certain knowledge that this will then be investigated by the police instead of being swept under the carpet as all my previous reports (with video evidence) have been!
http://www.bournemouthecho.co
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/15845196.Woman_comes_forward_after___39_row_between_cyclist_and_driver__39__in_Bournemouth_Road/
So it appears the lady on the bike came forward, and there were no charges. So presumably the motorist was lying, as would it appear from her weird story.
Bikebikebike wrote:
Looks like there may have been a bit of “creative exaggeration”, anyway…
A spokesperson for Dorset Police said: “Following a photo appeal, a woman came forward to assist officers with the investigation.
“As a result of an investigation the decision has been made that no charges will be brought, and no further police action will be taken.”