Cyclist broke his neck in crash with widow's car in Dereham

Philip Holland was riding along Cemetery Road in Dereham on July 30, 2023, when Carol Weston pulled out of a junction in her Vauxhall Mokka, after failing to see either Mr Holland or his son, who was riding ahead of him.

Weston, of the Common, Lyng, near Dereham, admitted causing serious injury by careless driving when she appeared before King's Lynn magistrates.

JPs heard Mr Holland, who is in his 50s and lives in Dereham, tried to swerve but collided with Weston's car.

Paul Brown, prosecuting, said the impact sent Mr Holland flying into the air and he landed on his head, breaking his neck.

Mr Brown said both Mr Holland and his son had flashing lights on their bikes, were wearing white cycle helmets and would have been visible from some distance.

In a victim statement read to the court, Mr Holland said he had had to learn to walk and write again, while everyday tasks left him exhausted.

He was unable to enjoy the hobbies he had enjoyed before, such as cycling, hiking and going to the gym, while his injury had left him unable to return to work as an engineer full-time.

"My and my family's lives have been changed forever by this incident," he said.

Tom Day, for Weston, said she was "extraordinarily sorry" for the injuries Mr Holland had suffered.

He said the crash had been caused by "a momentary lapse of concentration" and she could not understand why she did not see Mr Holland.

He described her as a woman of "unblemished character", who had been driving for 51 years without ever having points on her licence or being involved in an accident.

Sentencing Weston, chairman of the bench Alan Lusher said it was "an extraordinary case".

"It was clearly an unsafe manoeuvre, but not intentional," he added.

Weston was handed a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for two years.

She was also ordered to pay a £154 victim surcharge, costs of £145 and banned from driving for two years.