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Suspended sentence and one-year ban for Suffolk man convicted of causing cyclist's death by careless driving

Investigators said cyclist would have been “glaringly obvious” from 115 metres away

A Newmarket man who killed a cyclist in an “entirely avoidable” collision on his way to work in January 2017 has been handed a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and a one-year driving ban.

The East Anglian Daily Times reports that Zoltan Domotor was cycling along the A1304 in Newmarket at around 6.30am when he was hit from behind by 23-year-old Danut Birle.

Domotor was hit by the bonnet and windscreen of the car and suffered multiple fatal injuries, including a fractured skull.

He usually travelled to work on his motorbike, but due to a fault the day before the incident, on this occasion he cycled.

His wife said: “Zoltan had always said the roads were dangerous – he was not happy to cycle again.”

CCTV footage showed that Domotor was wearing a high vis jacket with reflectors on his pedals. Police tests later showed he would have been visible for a period of between four and 10 seconds.

Police forensic accident investigator PC Dean Webb said the test showed that when the reflective jacket was 115 metres away, it became "glaringly obvious" what it was and that Birle should have had time to emergency brake or take avoiding action.

Prosecutor Charles Myatt said: "From all the evidence available, it seems that Mr Birle did neither of these."

The nearside headlight of Birle's car was found to have been faulty and did not work on dipped beam.

There were no witnesses to the collision, but another motorist, Laura Towns, had been overtaken by Birle a short time before and said he had pulled away "at speed."

The collision took place at a speed believed to be in excess of 50mph.

Birle initially pleaded not guilty and claimed that Domotor had been riding towards him with either weak or no lights.

He later changed his plea and accepted all blame for the accident at sentencing.

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32 comments

Avatar
brooksby | 5 years ago
0 likes

It’s very childish and inappropriate in the circumstances but I genuinely can’t hear or read the name “Zoltan” without thinking “Hound of Dracula”... Sorry.

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peted76 | 5 years ago
2 likes

He should never be allowed to be in control of a vehicle again. 

The sentence is simply morally wrong, it says that a wholly irresponsible and avoidable death is worth less than one year to the law. 

The killer gets off without going to prison and merely an ‘inconvenient’ twelve months before getting back in his car. Sickening, the law is just wrong.

Avatar
peted76 | 5 years ago
1 like

He should never be allowed to be in control of a vehicle again. 

The sentence is simply morally wrong, it says that a wholly irresponsible and avoidable death is worth less than one year to the law. 

The killer gets off without going to prison and merely an ‘inconvenient’ twelve months before getting back in his car. Sickening, the law is just wrong.

Avatar
peted76 | 5 years ago
1 like

He should never be allowed to be in control of a vehicle again. 

The sentence is simply morally wrong, it says that a wholly irresponsible and avoidable death is worth less than one year to the law. 

The killer gets off without going to prison and merely an ‘inconvenient’ twelve months before getting back in his car. Sickening, the law is just wrong.

Avatar
peted76 | 5 years ago
1 like

He should never be allowed to be in control of a vehicle again. 

The sentence is simply morally wrong, it says that a wholly irresponsible and avoidable death is worth less than one year to the law. 

The killer gets off without going to prison and merely an ‘inconvenient’ twelve months before getting back in his car. Sickening, the law is just wrong.

Avatar
john1967 | 5 years ago
2 likes

Do not be suprised or angry just realise it is now legal to kill cyclists while driving. Protect your selfs.

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burtthebike replied to john1967 | 5 years ago
2 likes

john1967 wrote:

Do not be suprised or angry just realise it is now legal to kill cyclists while driving. Protect your selfs.

How do we protect ourselves when the law won' t?

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Hirsute | 5 years ago
0 likes

3 years because it was a young girl

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-44494748

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ktache | 5 years ago
0 likes

This bloke got 40 hours less work and 1 month more of a sentence he will not do-

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-44499948

He didn't kill anyone.

 

Avatar
Mungecrundle | 5 years ago
8 likes

You can register for free THELAWPAGES.COM for access to details of court cases. Unfortunately the case in this thread is not yet uploaded, but the details of the presiding judge will be included.

Not that I fully understand what I am looking at but you can basically search for the details of all court cases and see the sentences. Virtually every death by careless driving carries an immediate custodial sentence, indeed the only other case I found that did not, involved a cyclist as the victim.

I do not understand this sentence in the Zoltan Domotor case. My heart goes out to his family and friends. It seems that he was considered acceptable roadkill by the judge.

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Hirsute | 5 years ago
3 likes

Cyclist lives are worth...what exactly?

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burtthebike replied to Hirsute | 5 years ago
3 likes

hirsute wrote:

Cyclist lives are worth...what exactly?

Well, I'm not sure I can be exact, but it is something more than nothing,  but less than any other road user, obviously.  Maybe ony marginally more than nothing.  OK, a tiny bit more than nothing.  On a good day.  With the right judge.   And a jury which doesn't believe you deserve to die becaused you ride a bike.

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HarrogateSpa | 5 years ago
4 likes

This is only tangentially relevant, but the Guardian is reporting that someone who picked up a lost London Marathon race number, and ran the last bit, has been charged with fraud (and pleaded guilty). He is in a police cell now.

I struggle to understand the priorities of the criminal justice system in this country.

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BehindTheBikesheds | 5 years ago
12 likes

fucking disgrace, the justice system is an utter disgrace and the judge is in contempt toward the law, yet another prick who would rather let off a killer than do the right and lawful thing.

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Fishpastesarnie | 5 years ago
2 likes

Can members of the public complain about undue leniency in the same way that sexual assault and rape cases have been lately?

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EddyBerckx | 5 years ago
6 likes

At least he's been banned for a year.

As usual, cunts the lot of them...

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Grahamd | 5 years ago
2 likes

The judges name is conspicuously absent.

 

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cidermart replied to Grahamd | 5 years ago
2 likes
Grahamd wrote:

The judges name is conspicuously absent.

 

And so is their sense of touch with reality. Usual fucking disgracefully lenient sentence because they're on a bicycle.

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fixation80 replied to Grahamd | 5 years ago
2 likes

Grahamd wrote:

The judges name is conspicuously absent.

 

His name is 'Arsole'!

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CygnusX1 | 5 years ago
2 likes

Eighteen months for this to come to court and then this joke of a sentence? I guess Zoltan's family will have to continue to wait for justice to be served.

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ChrisB200SX | 5 years ago
9 likes

Wanton and furious driving if the headlights aren't all working properly?

Why is the driver not going to jail for driving into someone at 50mph? Oh yeah, because it was only a cyclist.

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Russell Orgazoid | 5 years ago
7 likes

If you want to kill someone and get away with it, use a car as your means

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richiewormiling | 5 years ago
4 likes

I can't believe this. I suppose as a second-class citizen (cyclist) I have to.

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cdean | 5 years ago
19 likes

So he lied and said that Domotor was coming towards him, then admitted that lie, and still only received that sentence?! I'm not even advocating him going to prison but the contrast between this and the Charlie Alliston case is incredible.

Avatar
richiewormiling replied to cdean | 5 years ago
5 likes

cdean wrote:

So he lied and said that Domotor was coming towards him, then admitted that lie, and still only received that sentence?! I'm not even necessarily advocating him going to prison but the contrast between this and the Charlie Alliston case is incredible.

...and that Amercian guy who got 30+ years or something.  Admittatdly he did kill 3.

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cdean replied to richiewormiling | 5 years ago
0 likes

richiewormiling wrote:

cdean wrote:

So he lied and said that Domotor was coming towards him, then admitted that lie, and still only received that sentence?! I'm not even advocating him going to prison but the contrast between this and the Charlie Alliston case is incredible.

...and that Amercian guy who got 30+ years or something.  Admittatdly he did kill 3.

 

He was in America, but point taken!

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pjm60 replied to cdean | 5 years ago
4 likes

cdean wrote:

So he lied and said that Domotor was coming towards him, then admitted that lie, and still only received that sentence?! I'm not even advocating him going to prison but the contrast between this and the Charlie Alliston case is incredible.

 

It is quite incredible. Causing death while driving a defective vehicle. Sounds like he had more time than Alliston to react.

 

What do we do?

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Simon E replied to cdean | 5 years ago
4 likes

cdean wrote:

So he lied and said that Domotor was coming towards him, then admitted that lie, and still only received that sentence?! I'm not even advocating him going to prison but the contrast between this and the Charlie Alliston case is incredible.

Absolutely.

A 1 year ban is a joke, it's so bad it's an insult. If I was a relative of the victim I'd be enraged, mainly because this contemptible arsehole will be driving again soon when that is the LAST thing he should be allowed to do. If he lived near me his car would be rendered unuseable. And the same would happen to any replacement he obtains.

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the little onion | 5 years ago
21 likes

For goodness sake. Note the charge of careless, not dangerous, driving. Another joke prosecution and sentence. 

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Awavey replied to the little onion | 5 years ago
4 likes

the little onion wrote:

For goodness sake. Note the charge of careless, not dangerous, driving. Another joke prosecution and sentence. 

 

the charge must have been downgraded as the driver was arrested on death by dangerous, even the Beeb report is still quoting his conviction as death by dangerous, but with no witnesses to the crash, the CPS must have chosen to go for the conviction on careless, rather than the trial on dangerous, as the driver was initially claiming not guilty, and we all know the likely outcome of a jury trial on dangerous driving with a minimum 2 years in prison in the offing.

but anyone not familar with the location, that road is by Newmarket racecourse, its pan flat and straighter than a roman road for more than a mile, how you could not see anyone on a bike on that road, words just fail me on that.

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