Speeding driver fleeing police killed cyclist, court told

A man who was speeding as he tried to flee police after committing a series of burglaries hit and killed a cyclist, Northampton Crown Court has heard.

Gary Lynch, aged 55 and of no fixed abode, is being tried in his absence for causing the death by dangerous driving of 75-year-old Arthur Bourlet, reports the Northamptonshire Telegraph.

Mr Bourlet, from Burton Latimer, died on 3 May of fatal injuries sustained in the incident on Station Road, Isham on 11 April this year.

Lynch, who has refused to attend court, is alleged to have been driving a car while being pursued by nine police vehicles and entered Station Road, where Mr Bourlet was pushing his bike through roadworks and was struck by the vehicle.

Derek Johashen, prosecuting, told the jury: "Lynch would have been in no doubt whatsoever that he had knocked down a man. Even that did not stop him.

"He did not wait or get out and see what injuries he had caused."

At 4am on 11 April, the court heard, a Mitsubishi Shogun car had been stolen during a burglary in Grafton Regis.

The vehicle triggered two ANPR cameras in Wellingborough, the first of those at 8.19am, and was subsequently seen being driven at speed near Little Harrowden and followed it.

The driver then headed towards Orlingbury, reaching a speed of 80mph before evading police and turning into a farmyard, where pursuing officers caught up with him.

"It [a police car] boxed him in but even that did not stop Lynch,” said Mr Johashen.

"He rammed the police car and pushed it out of the way ... rather than stopping for police he decided he was going to try and escape."

Lynch is said to have driven through a gate before police could deplot stingers, then reversed into a police car chasing him.

He then allegedly drove the wrong way around a roundabout and through a red light.

"Police made a decision that they needed to stop this vehicle. There was a lot of danger to members of the public," the prosecutor said, but despite officers shunting the vehicle at another mini-roundabout, the driver pressed on.

"Mr Lynch disregarded what would have been obvious to anyone – that he should just simply stop,” Mr Johashen told the jury. "He reversed his vehicle at considerable speed in order to escape."

The driver then went along Station Road, striking Mr Bourlet, and causing seven employees involved in the roadworks to jump either into a trench or over a fence to avoid being hit.

The vehicle crashed into a fence, the driver then reversing back up Station Road before police managed to stop it, with Lynch arrested at the scene.

Lynch is also alleged to have tried to break into a pub in Grafton Regis at 3.21am the same day, and to have committed a burglary in Hanslope at 5.50am.

Besides causing death by dangerous driving, Lynch also stands accused of two counts of burglary, one of attempted burglary, aggravated vehicle taking and driving whilst disqualified.

The trial continues.

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