Road.cc: Bexley video attacker sentenced
Nicholls receives fines and costs totalling £600
by Mark Appleton on July 25, 2011 – 15:41
John Nicholls, the man who attacked cyclist Simon Page in an incident that was captured on a helmet camera, today pleaded guilty to a charge of common assault at Bexley Magistrates Court.
Related story + Video: Violent Assault on London Cyclist Captured on Film
Nicholls, a farrier of Dartford in Kent, was fined £400, ordered to pay £100 compensation to the victim, £85 prosecution costs and a victim surcharge of £15.
After the CID at Bexley police station had failed to make progress in the case – despite the evidence of the assault complete with a car registration number – Simon turned to road.cc to help enlist the support of the cycling community, and ultimately the wider British public, in tracking down his assailant.
His account of the incident posted on our forum with a link to the video footage on Youtube, and our related news story were picked up by national, and even international media (an RTL news crew interviewed Simon for German TV) and the widespread coverage eventually led to the perpetrator handing himself in to police.
Today Simon said: “I’m satisfied that justice is being carried out and if that’s what the magistrates felt was appropriate then I’m fine with that. The £100 compensation will go straight into my charity coffers!”
Nicholls was given credit for pleading guilty and accordingly his fine was discounted by one third.
