Welcome to our sentencing round-up, a regular compilation of sentencing stories from local publishers and police forces from around the UK, and sometimes internationally in particularly notable cases.
All sources are credited with a link, and where a case has been picked up nationally, we’ll always credit local publishers who have attended court.
Since our last round-up in July, we have also reported on a couple of cases as standalone stories, most notably the lorry driver who avoided jail “by the skin of his teeth” after killing a cyclist.
Suspended sentence for “blind” driver who hit cyclist after not wearing glasses
A driver who was not wearing glasses despite their licence requiring they do so has been sentenced for hitting a cyclist and causing serious injuries, Humberside Police report.
Uchenna Agunenye, from Hull, was sentenced to 14 months in prison, suspended for 12, a two year driving ban and further disqualification pending an extended re-test, 180 hours unpaid community service work and ordered to pay the cyclist £187.
The victim was taken to hospital having sustained a broken leg, heel and several toes, as well as suffering lacerations and a fracture to her elbow. Agunenye later said he forgot to wear his glasses.
Following his sentencing, Humberside Police uploaded footage of the collision online, which you can watch below:
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12 years jail for speeding driver who killed cyclist then tried to cover it up
A Birmingham man who killed a cyclist whilst driving at least twice over the 30mph speed limit then denied and tried to hide his involvement in the collision has been jailed for 12 years, West Midlands Police report.
Jayden Adams, 27, hit Thomas Brown, 29, in the Hodge Hill area of the city on 26 April 2025. Brown suffered fatal injuries and died in hospital three days later.
Adams drove off after the crash and “abandoned” the Seat Leon involved, “only to return to it later that day to retrieve and burn it”.
Following enquiries he was arrested and told officers he was the car’s passenger. Detective Sergeant Chloe Collins said “Adams lied hoping he would get away with what he had done. His actions were callous.
“Fortunately, we were able to prove he was the driver on that day. He will now spend many years behind bars where he can reflect on his actions.”
For causing death by dangerous driving, Adams was jailed for nine years, and was handed a further three years for perverting the course of justice.
He was also given concurrent jail terms for driving while disqualified and driving without a licence, as well as a ban from driving for 12 years.
4 years jail for speeding driver who killed cyclist
In a similar case, a man from Newcastle driving at almost double the speed limit has been jailed for four and a half years for causing the death of a cyclist by dangerous driving in Norfolk, The Chronicle report.
Yasin Khan, 23, was driving a white Volkswagen Golf when he collided with a cyclist travelling on the A140 Farrow Road at the junction with Bowthorpe Road in Norwich on 27 February 2023. The cyclist died at the scene.
Norfolk Police said forensic analysis found Khan had been travelling between 55mph (89km/h) and 59mph (95km/h) while passing through the junction which has a 30mph (48km/h) speed limit.
In addition to his jail sentence, Khan was also disqualified from driving for seven years and three months.
Det Supt Mark Bassett, a serious collision investigation unit supervisor, said: “This collision was entirely avoidable and resulted in the tragic loss of a young man’s life.
“This is sadly another case that should serve as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences that can result from driving in an irresponsible and selfish manner.
“Mr Khan made the conscious decision to drive at almost double the speed limit on a busy urban road, with catastrophic consequences.”
Suspended sentence, community service and three-year driving ban for motorist who killed cyclist in early hours
A van driver received a suspended prison sentence for causing the death by careless driving of a cyclist in North Yorkshire, BBC Look North report.
Robert Wade, 25, crashed into Graham Nash, 54, in August 2024 causing “catastrophic injuries”. Bradford Crown Court heard the victim died at the scene after suffering a cardiac arrest. Wade subsequently said he had “no idea how he hadn’t seen him”, but stopped after hitting the victim and attempted to perform CPR.
Nash, from Giggleswick, had been riding on the single carriageway section of the A65 Settle bypass at about 4:50 AM on 6 August 2024 and was wearing a helmet with a light attached. His bike also had a working rear light. Judge Ahmed Nadim said Wade would have had eight or nine seconds to see the cyclist before hitting him and added: “You failed to observe him despite having ample opportunity to do so.” There was no alcohol, drugs, mobile phone use or racing involved in the incident.
He was sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years, and was ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid community service. Wade was also banned from driving for three years.
In a victim impact statement, Linda Nash, who had been married to Graham for 30 years, said her husband was “one of a kind” and a “truly special man who made life better simply by being in it”.
“The sentence imposed by the court will one day end. Ours never will.”
The court heard Wade had no previous convictions but had received penalty points on his licence for using a mobile phone while driving in February 2024.
His barrister, Rhianydd Clement, said Wade had shown extreme remorse and understanding of the devastating impact on Nash’s family.
Suspended sentence for van driver after causing death of Olympian due to “low sun”
An Olympic decathlete who competed alongside Daley Thompson was killed when a driver hit him with his Ford Transit van, the BBC report.
BRAD McSTRAVICK R.I.P#SALtogether
Really sad to report on sudden passing of top Scottish CE athlete at 68
Condolences to Brad’s family, friends
Short tribute on Facebook (with thanks @ArnoldBlack1) https://t.co/Fj9MboXGO1@SALChiefExec @OvensDavid @leslie_roy1 @Team_Scotland pic.twitter.com/2hBc1bnFqx— scottishathletics (@scotathletics) August 31, 2024
Bradley McStravick was cycling up a hill along the B6165 in Burnt Yates on 20 August 2024 when William Langley, 38, rear-ended him. McStravick, 68, was riding his bike after being informed he was cancer-free after treatment earlier in the day. He was due to attend his niece’s wedding the following day.
At a previous court appearance, the prosecution said Langley had a 16-second gap to see the bicycle but failed to do so. Langley admitted causing death by careless driving and was sentenced to a 26-week jail sentence suspended for 12 months. He was given a two-year driving ban, fined £500 and ordered to pay £85 costs, along with a £154 statutory surcharge.
Langley’s lawyer told the court his client, “just did not see the cyclist” but had observed the speed limit at all times. He added Langley had stopped his van after the collision to assist McStravick, had called the emergency services and was “full of remorse”.
“Too often, road traffic offences are treated as second-tier crimes, even when the consequences can be life-changing”
One common theme from almost all court cases we cover, whether mentioned by the prosecution, during sentencing remarks or victim impact statements is how life-changingly devastating for so many people one moment of inattention, distraction or dangerous driving can be. Campaigners and cyclists alike have regularly questioned sentencing severity for road offences, Cycling UK telling us that “too often, road traffic offences are treated as second-tier crimes”.
Sarah Whitebread, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at Cycling UK, said: “That mindset has contributed to dangerous and careless drivers reducing or even avoiding disqualification through claims of ‘exceptional hardship’. Speeding, driving while exhausted or passing dangerously close to someone aren’t harmless slip-ups, they are decisions that can leave families grieving.
“If someone drives dangerously and puts lives at risk, taking them off the road for a period is not excessive. It’s common sense. The courts’ first duty must be to protect the public and if the government is serious about meeting casualty reduction targets set out in the Road Safety Strategy, sentencing has to match the seriousness of the harm.”
Sentencing is a much-discussed topic on road.cc, particularly with regards to the punishments handed down to drivers who seriously injure or kill cyclists.
This series is a regular round-up of sentencing stories that helps us to collate information for our more in-depth coverage around sentencing, but we’re hoping it could also be of use to readers, academics, and those in the legal profession as a starting point for analysing the state of play when it comes to sentencing for driving and cycling offences.
Much like our Near Miss of the Day series, we’re not doing this for ‘clicks’ – but we make no secret of the fact that the article format is designed to get attention, and generate discussion. Though road.cc acknowledges there is a problem with inconsistent and lenient sentences for killer drivers, we’re intentionally steering clear of editorialising in our reporting here, which means we’re not just going to be selecting cases where we’ve decided in-house that the punishment didn’t fit the crime.
The aim is to provide a true picture of how people are sentenced for driving and cycling offences for further analysis. Are sentences wildly inconsistent depending on the judge? Are sentences becoming more lenient, or harsher over time? We can’t change the law, or a judge’s decision – but change starts with a discussion, and an acknowledgement the current system isn’t fit for purpose. This is why the maximum sentence for death by dangerous driving was increased to life imprisonment in 2022, and why the Highway Code was updated to include minimum passing distances for drivers around cyclists and the Hierarchy of Road users.
16 thoughts on “‘Blind’ driver fined £187 and avoids jail after badly injuring cyclist whilst not wearing glasses; 12 years for speeding driver who killed cyclist then lied to police; Motorist spared after low sun blamed for Olympian’s death: road.cc sentencing round-up”
While I’m in no way excusing Uchenna Agunenye, he deserves everything he got and more, that is one of those high quality cycle lanes that are worse than useless, he demonstrated exactly how useless they are.
As for Jayden Adams, 12 years doesn’t seem excessive. Let’s hope he doesn’t qualify for early release. That’s a point: does causing a road death count as violence and therefore not qualify for early release?
The ironic tragedy of Bradley McStravick, killed on the day he was told he was cancer-free, must have been so hard for his family and friends to cope with: my thoughts are with them.
“One common theme from almost all court cases we cover, whether mentioned by the prosecution, during sentencing remarks or victim impact statements is how life-changingly devastating for so many people one moment of inattention, distraction or dangerous driving can be.”
This, a thousand times this. Taking risks with other people’s lives while driving is treated as a minor crime with no victim, until there is. I’m sure the comprehensive review of road crime and punishment will be along any day though, so this absurd anomaly will be addressed.
@eburtthebike RE legal reviews etc let’s hope Andy Burnam’s dad was also a (transport) cyclist…
(That seems to be the story for any big changes being mooted – not making judgements on sincerity etc).
@chrisonabike Not quite the full picture Chris, yes he does appear to be motivated by his father for the changes to social care, just as Cameron was motivated, or claimed to be, by having a severely disabled son, but there are plenty of “big changes being mooted” that have nothing to do with that, I don’t think he’s mulling over rejoining Europe or introducing proportional representation because of dad!
@Rendel Harris perhaps not … on the other hand he appears to be an accomplished *politician* (a journo described him as a “very very good at playing the Prime Minister – we hope he is good at being one also” ). So perhaps that could be worked in…
@eburtthebike The irony of that video starting with “this contains distressing content” and the pathetic sentence handed down is unbelievable.
This guy did not forget, he was negligent.
How did the judge manage to keep a straight face when sentencing Agunenye? 14 months in prison suspended for 12 months, so he only has to behave himself for less time than the actual length of the prison sentence to avoid activating it? Surely any suspended sentence should have a period of suspension at least as long as the sentence itself?
@Rendel Harris I don’t understand suspended sentences in general. The Sentencing Council seems to treat them as more-or-less on par with actual custodial sentences, but a suspended sentences is basically just carry on living your life as normal? The court may apply additional requirements to a suspended sentence (e.g. curfew or unpaid work) but is not obliged to (Agunenye got 180 hours of unpaid work). Indeed, for supposedly-less-serious Community Orders, the court is obliged to apply at least one additional requirement.
Maybe it’s just under reported what requirements the courts are imposing, and if we knew, more of the suspended sentences we hear about would be more palatable. But as it stands, it comes across as the perpetrators getting away effectively scot-free despite the court, on paper, convicting them of a “serious” crime.
https://sentencingcouncil.org.uk/guidelines/imposition-of-community-and-custodial-sentences/#header_8
As an aside, if you want more rage bait, follow the link to the R v Corey Morgan [2026] appeal at the end of that page. Tl;dr man uses car as a deadly weapon and gets 8 month sentence, suspended upon appeal.
@OnYerBike are they “suspended” like disbelief is – in the feeble story told by the defendent’s brief, or the chance of them suddenly becoming an upstanding citizen?
@OnYerBike Indeed they do seem to be something of a joke, especially as the community order work appears, so I’m told by people who work in the area, to be very easily circumvented by pleading mental health issues (“I’m agoraphobic so can’t do litter picking in the park” is one I’ve heard), childcare or care for elderly relatives responsibilities et cetera. If we have to have suspended sentences, which I suppose we do given the chronic overcrowding problems in prison, why can’t they be enforced for longer, even lifelong? If someone is told if you’re caught again at any point in your life you’ll be back inside to serve this sentence that is rather more of a deterrent than keep your nose clean for a year and then it’s effectively wiped off. In this case, ludicrously, Agunenye’s suspended sentence period runs out before his driving ban expires, so assuming he is not criminal in any other area of his life it’s entirely meaningless. I would be in favour of never giving him his licence back, but if he is to get it back he should have it on the understanding that if he ever commits another offence he’s going straight to prison to do his time for this one. That might, perhaps, make him remember to put his spectacles on.
@Rendel Harris I believe I learned from a panel show that is possible to get driving insurance applications in braille *. So isn’t this demanding that drivers have fair eyesight (like other things normally checked once in their life) just discrimination?
* No doubt for good reasons, like the driver can see fine but a) has a visually impaired partner / helper and b) said driver is illiterate / documents aren’t in their first language / they’re not mentally competent (is this right again?)
So you can keep your eyes on the road while filling them out.
@chrisonabike There was story going around about the turn of the millennium that a government watchdog had written to a particular government-run organisation to enquire as to why a certain form was not available in braille: the RAF replied that they really weren’t anticipating that many blind or partially sighted applicants for the fighter jet pilot training programme.
Mind you some people do think it’s okay to drive blind, there was a genuine case a few years ago when the police attended the scene of a single-vehicle crash and were surprised to find that the elderly driver was quite clearly almost completely blind; his wife explained that the crash hadn’t been his fault as she usually told him where to steer but had been distracted by looking at a microlight aircraft at the time.
Chuck an empty plastic bottle, get fast tracked through the court system and receive a 2 year prison sentence.
Plow straight into someone through dangerous and incompetent driving, leaving them with serious injuries and get a hundred quid fine (who knows if he’ll even pay that?)
#twotierjustice
Kindly stop waving that shoehorn about – you’ll have someone’s eye out.
@mdavidford possibly Sir (now Baron) Sadiq’s…
@Nigel Garage The defendant pleaded guilty to participating in violent disorder, so he knew he was bang to rights. He was clearly involved at Culpability B level, “Offender participated in incident involving persistent and/or sustained unlawful activity” and Category 2, “Incident results in attacks on police or public servants”. B2 offences have a starting sentencing point of two years’ custody. Thug got exactly the right sentence for his crime. Funny how you are continually defending lenient sentences for drivers (“no sense in imprisoning someone for a momentary lapse in concentration”) until you come across an offender with an African name and then start squealing about two tier justice.