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news
Justice (Lonpicman, Wikimedia Commons)Jail for South Wales teenager who threw bottle at cyclist from moving car
A teenager who threw a bottle at a cyclist, causing him to fall off his bike and break his elbow and wrist, has been jailed for 12 months.
Sonny Hannah, now aged 19, was a passenger in a moving vehicle when he launched the bottle at John Mihell on Lavernock Road between Sully and Penarth, South Wales, in June last year.
Hannah, from Barry, initially pleaded not guilty to causing the cyclist grievous bodily harm but changed his plea following the discovery of his DNA on the bottle, reports the Penarth Times.
Cardiff Crown Court was told that Hannah, appearing via video link from a Youth Offenders Institution where he is serving a 14-month sentence for supplying heroin, has a background of "wanton violence" against strangers.
On Friday 13 June last year, he was a passenger in a car with three other people, described as being driven erratically and with loud music pumping out of the speakers.
The court was told he had thrown items from the car, striking pedestrians including a woman waiting at a bus stop, before throwing a Coca-Cola bottle over the top of the vehicle towards Mr Mihell, who was riding at 20mph.
It hit the front wheel of his bike, causing him to fall off and sustain cuts and bruises as well as fractures to his wrist and elbow.
Police traced Hannah via the owner of the vehicle, but he initially attempted to deny involvement until the DNA evidence identified him.
Defending Hannah, who has seven previous convictions including ones for actual bodily harm and affray with an offensive weapon, Adam Sharpe described the incident as being due to his client’s “gross stupidity” but asked the court to be lenient.
However, Recorder Ian Murphy QC sentenced him to an additional 12 months in jail, saying: "This was another act of wanton violence, more than gross stupidity," he said.
"It was committed for your amusement and that of your friends," he added.
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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24 comments
This is simply not a cycling story.
"appearing via video link from a Youth Offenders Institution where he is serving a 14-month sentence for supplying heroin, has a background of "wanton violence" against strangers"
The guy in the wrong place at the wrong time just happened to be on a bike. This time
The fact the guy was on a bike as you put it makes it a cycling story, just the same way an athlete winning a race on a bike is a cycling story or a bishop giving up his car and cycling for lent is a cycling story.
This one is also a crime story, a story about violence, aggression and drugs; but definitely a cycling story.
I know our legal system is a bit messed up but why on earth do we allow scrotes to change their pleas?
one of the more salient points in this article is the need to gather evidence, if something like this happens to you. He'd have got away with it, but for the DNA evidence. I had a very similar thing happen to me - I didn't get knocked off, though. Police dropped it because I hadn't picked up the cup thrown at me. So, there was no proof.
So, the moral of the story is, even if you're rolling around in agony, make sure you get the evidence! You can go to hospital later....
It's also worth noting that this lad was already on their radar. I had a bottle of juice squirted at me from a van. Called the police there and then. gave the reg number and they called me back at home a literally as I walked in the door wanting to arrange an interview at my house the next day. I was thinking this was great service and it was, but I later found out that the van was already on their radar and the driver "known". In other words my complaint was useful to them. I expect if the Registration number had no markers and the driver/keeper not known to them that the urgency might not quite be there.
BTW I don't have a problem with that approach either. People who are a constant menace need extra attention.
So no punishment for the driver?
That is a great point.
Surely a couple of points off the license etc?
Hard to argue that Sonny is little more than oxygen thief who will serve no other purpose in his life than to add to over crowded prison populations. People like him make it a risk just leaving your house.
I believe some American states follow a "three strikes and you're out" policy which results in a life term after the third felony conviction. Whilst no fan of many aspects of the US legal system, I am beginning to appreciate the logic behind this.
He sounds like a really chamer doesn't he. Something tells me this won't be his last stint in prison
'Draconian' - in the style of Draco of Athens. Athenian legislator who drew up a code of laws that were extremely harsh. Basically lots of Laws: One Sentence - Death.
'draconian' - pertaining to dragons.
Please. For the sake of my CDO (like OCD but the letters are in the correct order like they should be!) get it right!
Ooooo my hero............
So the lawyer's best effort was essentially ''Please be lenient because my client has no brain"? Why don't we just shoot the silly bastard and have done with it?
Which ... Lawyer or Scrote ??
Both.
Well to be fair to the lawyer (who is legally obliged to do his/her best in the interests of the client) that was all that could be offered.
Since he is already doing time for supplying heroin and is only 19 I fully expect that he'll be spending a lot of time in jail over the coming decades. Quite a lot.
There must be a littering offence to be taken into account here also?
I suspect previous offending history was taken into account with the sentencing.
should have said the sun was in his eyes, or he just didn't see him, then he wouldn't have got off.
What a waste of skin.
glad he has been locked up, but is it me, 12months for throwing a bottle, how much would he have got if he had used the car instead?
Given recent sentencing standards and a review of the statistics from the last few years, about 10 minutes.
10 minutes? Jesus thats a bit draconian is it not!
12 months for trying to kill someone. Seems a bit trivial to me.