The Oxford Mail: Trucker jailed over cyclist’s death crash
5:49pm Friday 30th October 2009
A “CALLOUS” lorry driver has been jailed for two years after knocking a cyclist off his bike and trying to ditch the evidence.
Andrew Stubbs, from George Street, Bicester, was imprisoned for perverting the course of justice after a court heard how he collided with cyclist Anthony Spink, who died after the collision.
The bike became trapped under Stubbs’s truck during the incident in Wakefield, in July 2007, while Spink was left in the road.
Stubbs carried on before getting out of his cab a few miles down the road and throwing the bike – along with some of Mr Spink’s personal documents – into undergrowth.
The 41-year-old was also convicted of careless driving after a trial, but he was cleared of causing death by dangerous driving.
During the trial the court heard from a witness that Mr Spink, of Normanton, in West Yorkshire, could be seen banging on the front of the cab to get the driver’s attention before being dragged under after the two vehicles collided.
Mr Spink, a gifted musician and artist, was about to begin a cycling holiday in Ireland when he was dragged under the HGV as he made a left turn, having overtaken Stubbs.
Judge Penelope Belcher told Stubbs: “You must have realised that you had collided with a pedal cyclist, who must have suffered serious injury.
“You must have realised the cyclist might have been killed.
“In my judgement you showed callous indifference to Mr Spink’s death, and that was reflected in how you disposed of the bike and other items in the layby.”
Stubbs was an agency driver who was returning from delivering goods to Homebase in Wakefield when the accident happened.
Mr Spink’s family have been waiting for more than two years for justice and were visibly moved after the sentence.
A spokesman for the deceased’s family said: “Stubbs felt no remorse, no sorrow, no regret at the taking of a human life.”
Stubbs, who also admitted failing to stop after an accident, failing to report an accident and driving in excess of four-and-a-half hours without a minimum break of 45 minutes, was also given a three-year driving ban.
