A van driver who deliberately ran over a cyclist while carrying blood to a hospital has been jailed for three years and six months. Mark Okotie, 44, was sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court after being convicted of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
The court heard that Okotie knocked a man off his bike, causing him to go under two wheels of his vehicle. He was delivering blood products to a south London hospital when he moved his van into the left lane “seemingly without looking,” coming close to a cyclist in New Cross Road, Lewisham.
Incident during evening rush hour
At the next set of traffic lights, during the evening rush hour of March 20 2024, the cyclist spat in Okotie's direction. The spit “went through the open driver's window,” the court heard. Dashcam footage from inside Okotie's van showed him turning the steering wheel sharply to run over the cyclist.
The victim suffered several fractures and needed “numerous screws and plates” in his pelvis and femur, the court was told. Okotie, of Naylor Road in Southwark, sat in the dock during the hearing.
Defence describes character
Defence barrister Mandisa Knights told the court how Okotie, a father of eight children with a one-year-old grandchild, works with young people “to prevent them from entering a world of violence,” which he was “exposed to as a young man.”
She said: “Unfortunately on this occasion, (he) departed so drastically from the man that he is. This is a man who stands not only at the centre of his family but the centre of his community.” She added: “A momentary relapse in retaliation has led him to these grave consequences.”
The barrister told the court: “Mr Okotie has to re-enter his community, the boys that he has mentored and has shown that there is a different path, and look them in the eye and say 'I have done this'.”
Judge's sentencing remarks
Sentencing Okotie, Recorder Neil Haythorne said: “In a moment of extreme road rage, which appears entirely out of character from what I have heard about you, you caused serious injury to a cyclist. You used the van as a highly dangerous weapon.” The judge did not disqualify Okotie from driving, noting that he has been driving for the last two and a half years since the incident.
In a statement released by police, the victim said he is an active person but has been unable to go jogging and do other physical activities because of his injuries. He said: “When I hear a van or a large vehicle coming up behind me when I'm cycling it can make me panic.”
Detective Inspector Steven Andrews, from the Met Police, said: “Okotie was driving a vehicle carrying blood destined for hospital patients in need. Instead of continuing a journey intended to support potentially lifesaving treatment, he chose to place someone else's life at risk.” Mr Andrews added: “I hope this sentence provides a measure of justice for the victim and demonstrates that deliberate acts of violence on London roads will be robustly investigated and prosecuted.”
