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Man charged following death of Sussex cyclist

Charges against Matthew Gardiner in connection with incident that killed Antoney Colley include driving under influence of drink and drugs

A man has been charged with multiple offences including driving while under the influence of drugs and alcohol following the death of cyclist in Sussex earlier this year.

Antoney Colley, aged 53 and a night security officer, was pronounced dead at the scene of the collision which happened at around 6.20am on Sunday 26 May on the A2690 Combe Valley Way near Bexhill.

Sussex Police have confirmed that 34-year-old construction worker Matthew Gardiner, from Bexhill, was charged on Friday with the following offences:

Causing death by dangerous driving

Causing death while driving without due care and attention and at the time, was unfit to drive through drugs

Causing death while driving without due care and attention and at the time, was under the influence of alcohol.

Gardiner has been released on conditional bail and is due to appear at Hastings Magistrates’ Court on 16 October.

After Mr Coley’s death, his family released a statement through Sussex Police in which they paid tribute to him.

“Antoney was one of a kind, he would do anything for his family and friends,” they said “His work colleagues at the Sussex Exchange always spoke highly of him.

“Antoney was a friendly, caring person, he was generous and would always be willing to help even strangers. He loved to talk to everyone. He enjoyed his music, both listening and playing. He loved to walk his dogs every morning on his return from work.

“Antoney was a wonderful husband, step-dad and step-grandad, and he took pride in talking about his family, especially his grandchildren.

“We have a gaping hole that can never be filled, as he was so tragically taken from us, but will live on in our hearts forever,” they added.

“We cannot thank the emergency services enough and the care that he received at the scene for doing all that was possible for Antoney.”

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Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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