Land Rover driver jailed for 18 months after running over cyclist in road rage incident

A Land Rover Freelander driver has been jailed for 18 months after ramming a cyclist in a road rage incident, leaving the victim with six fractured ribs, his pelvis broken in six places, and a punctured liver.  

Alan Moult, aged 74, pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving when he appeared at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester this week, reports the Guardian.

The court heard that Moult, a retired engineer, had become angry with cyclist Nick Cook when the rider hit his vehicle by accident after the driver of a bin lorry had braked suddenly in front of him at a set of traffic lights.

Dashcam footage of the incident in Stockport in July 2020 showed Moult’s wife pleading with him to stop as he drove after the cyclist, whom he blamed for damaging his wing mirror, saying, “It’s not worth it – don’t, love.”

Catching up with the cyclist, Moult got out of his car and began arguing with him, whereupon Mr Cook spat on the bonnet of the vehicle.

Moult got back in his Land Rover and drove over the victim, seriously injuring him, then called him a “prick.”

The incident left Mr Cook, who is still suffering the after-effects of his injuries, too frightened to ride his bike and he has also lost his job.

Rachel Stenton, defending Cook, claimed in mitigation that there had been “a certain amount of goading” on Mr Cook’s part before he was run over.

“Had his vehicle not been damaged this would never have happened,” she said. “It was a moment of madness.”

Referring to the moment the cyclist spat on the car, Recorder Dan Prowse told Moult: ‘‘It was plainly a provocative act but your response was grossly disproportionate.

“You deliberately drove into and over Mr Cook, accelerating hard as you did so having aimed your vehicle directly at him and he went under your vehicle.

“Your wife was shrieking and was plainly frightened but your response, knowing you had just run that man down, was to say the word: ‘prick’.”

He added: ‘‘You were consumed by anger and wanted a confrontation with Mr Cook. You deliberately ran that man down in anger in an action that could have been fatal.’’

The judge also banned Moult from driving for three years.