A hit-and-run motorist who was driving without his licence and hit a cyclist, who said he thought he had “hit an animal”, has been sentenced to one year in prison and disqualified from driving for four years, with the judge also saying that he must pass an extended re-test before being allowed back on the roads.

The cyclist, Phillip Pike, was riding an e-bike with a max speed limit of 15mph in Prestatyn, Denbighshire in north Wales at 10:30pm on May 26, 2023, when he heard “high revving” from behind, and was then hit by a Mini being driven by 26-year-old Nathan Brown.

Pike suffered two fractured ribs, a fractured left collar bone, a lacerated spleen and grazing to his chest. His bike was trapped under the car for a few seconds, but Brown didn’t stop and continued to drive despite the bike igniting sparks.

North Wales Live reports that police traced the car two days later, which belonged to Brown’s girlfriend who said that Brown had taken the car without her permission despite not being eligible to drive as his licence had been revoked after accruing 12 penalty points.

Brown was seen coming out of a pub to his girlfriend’s car, and when questioned by the police, he said that he thought he had hit an “animal”.

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Meanwhile, Pike was later taken to a hospital and was admitted there for two weeks. In December, he gave a statement to the court saying that he was still in pain and discomfort seven months after the incident. The cyclist, who already had ADHD, said the thought of going on a road raised his anxiety levels and he stopped going out at night.

Pike died in February this year. His partner of 13 years, Ruth Green, said in her statement that the collision and court hearing adjournments had a significant negative impact on his mental health, leading him to develop paranoia. She said: “Philip was my world and now he’s gone. The collision has been instrumental in bringing to an end two lives as I don’t know how to carry on.”

The defending lawyer said Brown maintained that he did not initially realise he had struck Mr Pike, and “struggles to explain how this incident occurred,” but is “truly remorseful”. He also added that his client has now been “clean from drugs for at least six months” and “no longer drinks alcohol to excess”.

Sentencing, Judge Niclas Parry told Brown that he had “no regard for the roads”. He added: “You did not report the accident – no call for any help, no call for an ambulance. But I cannot sentence you on the basis the sad passing was attributable to your offending. That’s subject to continuing investigations.”

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Brown was handed a 12-month sentence in prison for causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving. He was also sentenced for 12 more months after part of a suspended sentence for an earlier offence was activated, making a total of two years imprisonment.

Judge Parry also disqualified Brown from driving for four years, adding to the conviction that he must also then pass an extended re-test before being allowed back on the roads.

In September last year, a new report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling and Walking (APPGCW) has advised that motorists who commit driving offences while behind the wheel of larger, heavier cars should receive tougher penalties, with the size and weight of the vehicle seen as an “aggravating factor” when it comes to sentencing.

The cross-party group’s report, also called for speed limits to be strictly enforced, with the current tolerances for inaccurate readings scrapped, along with recommending that anyone who is banned from driving for a period should be forced to undertake a fresh driving test, while criticising those who use the “exceptional hardship” excuse to avoid bans.