A pedestrian has been jailed for three years after causing a cyclist to fall into the path of an oncoming car in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. Auriol Grey, 49, shouted and waved aggressively at Celia Ward, 77, telling her to “get off the fucking pavement” before the retired midwife fell into the road and was struck by a vehicle.
The incident occurred on 20 October 2020 on a shared pavement that was 2.4 metres wide. Grey, who has cerebral palsy, denied manslaughter but was found guilty after a retrial at Peterborough Crown Court. Judge Enright stated that her actions were not a result of her disability.
In a victim impact statement, Celia Ward’s widower, David, said the CCTV footage of her last moments would “haunt me for ever”. He described their happy life together and how he had to sell their home of 34 years to move closer to family. Their daughter, Gillian Hayter, described her mother’s death as “senseless and needless”.
The driver of the car, Carla Money, who was with her two-year-old daughter, said her life had been “turned upside down”. Grey’s defence barrister, Miranda Moore KC, said there was “no intention to cause harm” and that Grey viewed cyclists as needing to use the road on narrow pavements. She indicated an appeal would be submitted.
Detective Sergeant Mark Dollard of Cambridgeshire Police called the case “difficult and tragic”, adding that Grey’s response was “totally disproportionate” and served as a reminder for all road users to be considerate.
