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From: Derek C on 8 Jun 2010 03:22 I knew this would have to happen sooner or later, given Doug's hostile attitude to vehicle drivers in general. This is his version of events (from uk.rec.cycling): ------------------------------------------------------------------- "This is a new twist. We are used to cyclists being rammed but strangled? And of course, surprise surprise, the cyclist victim is blamed as usual. On Tuesday March 9th at around 4-5pm, I was cycling west along Oxford Street, London, near Dean Street, when a taxi suddenly swerved across the front of me to pick up a fare and we collided. Following a brief verbal exchange, the taxi driver grabbed the scarf around my neck and strangled me until I was unconscious. When I regained consciousness the police and ambulance were on the scene. What seemed an open and shut case in my favour has gone horribly wrong in light of the appalling fact that the subsequent investigation failed to retrieve CCTV footage before it was erased and also failed to secure the details of a witness who saw the entire incident, and who looked after me throughout and assured me and the police he would be my witness. The police now have no record of his details. The taxi driver's defence is that I attacked him. A passenger in the car behind saw a scuffle and believes he may have seen a singular punch thrown, although crucially states he didn't see a punch connect (there certainly was a scuffle, I was having the life strangled out of me at the time) and on that basis, regardless of damning photographic evidence that shows vicious swollen bruising around my neck plus a police doctor's report that indicates the same, because I have no witness or CCTV evidence to corroborate my story, the CPS has taken the taxi driver's version of events and charged me with assault. In a week's time I will enter a plea of not guilty. My solicitor has warned me that legal costs could reach £5,000, and that's just if the CPS find me not guilty. I left employment just two months ago having finally saved enough money to focus on writing full-time, and was supposed to leave the country this week on a long-planned research trip, which now looks to be on hold indefinitely. This is a huge kick in the teeth to everything I have worked towards and leaves me on the brink of a criminal record for a crime I did not commit, while the person who was extremely violent towards me hasn't even been cautioned. Somewhere out there in this wonderful London town is surely a cyclist, motorist or pedestrian who was passing on that day and witnessed an enraged taxi driver strangling me. If so, I really hope you are reading this. I have canvassed all shops in the area for witnesses and private CCTV and return this week to speak to opposite shifts and put up notices. I have queried Westminster CCTV, along with their Traffic Wardens & Refuse Collectors who were working in the area at that time, and also queried London Transport about static and vehicle cameras. I am aiming to get ads and letters in the London press this week. Someone out there must have seen something. The sooner I find a witness the sooner I can bring an end to this unfairness and escalating costs." ------------------------------------------------------------------------- The bad news is that the taxi driver failed to kill him, and also that he won't be able to leave the country as he intended. Derek C "You reap what you sow"
From: Brimstone on 8 Jun 2010 04:00 "Derek C" <del.copeland(a)tiscali.co.uk> wrote in message news:48303108-e043-4d4c-8613-109ff681ac15(a)k39g2000yqb.googlegroups.com... > I knew this would have to happen sooner or later, given Doug's hostile > attitude to vehicle drivers in general. > > This is his version of events (from uk.rec.cycling): > ------------------------------------------------------------------- > "This is a new twist. We are used to cyclists being rammed but > strangled? And of course, surprise surprise, the cyclist victim is > blamed as usual. > > On Tuesday March 9th at around 4-5pm, I was cycling west along Oxford > Street, London, near Dean Street, when a taxi suddenly swerved across > the front of me to pick up a fare and we collided. Following a brief > verbal exchange, the taxi driver grabbed the scarf around my neck and > strangled me until I was unconscious. When I regained consciousness > the police and ambulance were on the scene. > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > The bad news is that the taxi driver failed to kill him, and also that > he won't be able to leave the country as he intended. > The obvious lesson to take from this episode is not to wear a scarf when riding a bicycle.
From: JNugent on 8 Jun 2010 04:20 Brimstone wrote: > "Derek C" <del.copeland(a)tiscali.co.uk> wrote in message > news:48303108-e043-4d4c-8613-109ff681ac15(a)k39g2000yqb.googlegroups.com... >> I knew this would have to happen sooner or later, given Doug's hostile >> attitude to vehicle drivers in general. >> >> This is his version of events (from uk.rec.cycling): >> ------------------------------------------------------------------- >> "This is a new twist. We are used to cyclists being rammed but >> strangled? And of course, surprise surprise, the cyclist victim is >> blamed as usual. >> >> On Tuesday March 9th at around 4-5pm, I was cycling west along Oxford >> Street, London, near Dean Street, when a taxi suddenly swerved across >> the front of me to pick up a fare and we collided. Following a brief >> verbal exchange, the taxi driver grabbed the scarf around my neck and >> strangled me until I was unconscious. When I regained consciousness >> the police and ambulance were on the scene. >> > >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> The bad news is that the taxi driver failed to kill him, and also that >> he won't be able to leave the country as he intended. >> > The obvious lesson to take from this episode is not to wear a scarf when > riding a bicycle. ## Isadora Duncan... worked for Telefunken... ~ Two references for the price of one there.
From: Derek C on 8 Jun 2010 04:45 On Jun 8, 9:20 am, JNugent <J...(a)nonexistentaddress.com> wrote: > Brimstone wrote: > > "Derek C" <del.copel...(a)tiscali.co.uk> wrote in message > >news:48303108-e043-4d4c-8613-109ff681ac15(a)k39g2000yqb.googlegroups.com.... > >> I knew this would have to happen sooner or later, given Doug's hostile > >> attitude to vehicle drivers in general. > > >> This is his version of events (from uk.rec.cycling): > >> ------------------------------------------------------------------- > >> "This is a new twist. We are used to cyclists being rammed but > >> strangled? And of course, surprise surprise, the cyclist victim is > >> blamed as usual. > > >> On Tuesday March 9th at around 4-5pm, I was cycling west along Oxford > >> Street, London, near Dean Street, when a taxi suddenly swerved across > >> the front of me to pick up a fare and we collided. Following a brief > >> verbal exchange, the taxi driver grabbed the scarf around my neck and > >> strangled me until I was unconscious. When I regained consciousness > >> the police and ambulance were on the scene. > > >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > >> The bad news is that the taxi driver failed to kill him, and also that > >> he won't be able to leave the country as he intended. > > > The obvious lesson to take from this episode is not to wear a scarf when > > riding a bicycle. > > ## Isadora Duncan... worked for Telefunken... ~ > She was killed when her scarf got tangled in the spoked wheels of a Bugatti sports car. Derek C
From: Adrian on 8 Jun 2010 04:47
Derek C <del.copeland(a)tiscali.co.uk> gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying: >> > The obvious lesson to take from this episode is not to wear a scarf >> > when riding a bicycle. >> ## Isadora Duncan... worked for Telefunken... ~ > She was killed when her scarf got tangled in the spoked wheels of a > Bugatti sports car. An Amilcar, actually. |