Violent attack on cyclist in Bexley Village
A bit out of this blog’s usual area, but any help identifying this violent idiot, and his pal in the check shirt, would no doubt be appreciated by road.cc forum user SimpleSimon.
According to road.cc, the Met have been hopeless in trying to track him down. Can you help?
Unfortunately, there’s no date as to when it took place other than “a few weeks ago” from 21 June.
This is why when I do get myself a cycle helmet, I’ll also be buying a camera for it…
(THURSDAY 14 JULY, 6.45PM: 29-year-old John Nicholls, of Edwin Road, Dartford, has been charged with common assault.)
(MONDAY 25 JULY, 5:20PM: Nicholls pleaded guilty to common assault and was fined £400, with a further £200 in costs and compensation.)
The car registration – KJ56 HGF – is there for all to see. How hard can it be?
ThePirateKing
8 July, 2011 at 4:21 pm
According to the poster, the police say that the car owner claimed on that day he had left the car unlocked with key in the ignition. Someone stole it, and after this assault, the car was returned to the spot he had left it at.
Nope, no sane person in the world would believe that excuse. Unless you work for the police. Any help for the identification of actual people seen assaulting would be helpful.
raven
8 July, 2011 at 5:20 pm
And the police can’t look at the people who claim their car was stolen and compare the faces in the video..?!?!
Katie S
8 July, 2011 at 6:10 pm
It’s maddening, but not all down to the police.
I was hit by a joy rider years back. Car crashed just after it hit me and 4 kids jumped out. The police were already in pursuit and stayed with the boy getting out of the drivers door. They caught and arrested him, but here’s the rub.
He obviously refused to dob in his mates, but did confess to being in the car (the police and witness statements had him getting out of it) but said he was NOT driving it. You’d think that 2+2 = 4 (only person in the car MUST be driving it), but no. They had to get HUGE ammount of evidence to put him in the driver seat and even then it was touch and go to get the conviction.
So common sense / basic logic does not always match with the british justice system. It feels very much like one of those situations. The police have to PROVE the obvious, not as easy as it seems…
El Badgerino
8 July, 2011 at 7:25 pm
F*cking nasty men.
Lara Ruffle
9 July, 2011 at 1:15 am
Funny how they managed to convict the man who was caught kicking his dog in Abbey Wood from a similar length of video. The man is on film throwing a punch – he can hardly say he wasn’t there. Maybe cyclists are lesss important than dogs.
Steve
9 July, 2011 at 9:28 am
Not to mention all the witnesses, including the bus driver.
Steve
9 July, 2011 at 9:29 am
It’s all there on video — how much more evidence is needed?!
Gill
9 July, 2011 at 1:37 pm
Date/time of the incident will be the same as the date the video was recorded, surely?
Rich
9 July, 2011 at 2:16 pm
Please don’t be ridiculous in this matter guys.
@Raven – The police don’t believe this story in a month of Sundays but what do you want them to do? Get the thumb screws out to illicit a confession? You’d be the first to complain about that.
@Katie S – How do you know the police haven’t done this? Accessing the photo on a driving license is simple stuff. Many other options available too including popping around for a chat.
@Steve – if police don’t know who the assailant is how can they arrest him? The man with the dog was named, I’d suggest, after members of the public saw his despicable actions and phoned in. Hopefully that will happen in this case.
Police are not omnipotent and this isn’t the world of CSI Miami – no zooming camera angles and unlimited resources here I’m afraid. Unless someone names the suspect they have no chance of tracing him.
Here’s a radical suggestion. Instead of having a dig at the police at every opportunity how about offering some support by way of circulating this video and encouraging someone to name the suspect so police can then do their part?
Paul
9 July, 2011 at 3:46 pm
Paul
Do you really think it’s ridiculous to expect the police to identify and charge a man filmed jumping out of a car and attacking a cyclist in broad daylight with many many witnesses? In any case, why do you say “at every opportunity”?
Steve
9 July, 2011 at 7:37 pm
@Steve – My point stands. If the police don’t know who the man is how can they trace him? You can have all the witnesses under the sun but if you don’t know his name or address you have the pick of 60 million people to start going through. And by the way, the police do not charge anyone the Crown Prosecution Service do.
Paul
10 July, 2011 at 1:39 pm
Paul
The clue is in your own words “If the police don’t know who the man is how can they trace him?”. Yes, that’s right – trace him! It’s called detective work, dontcha know.
And by the way, I think you’ll fnd that police charge people and CPS prosecute them. The clue is in the name. If you’re going to be pedantic, it’s a good idea to get your facts straight first.
Steve
10 July, 2011 at 9:09 pm
Folks, lets not get bickering. I think we’re all in agreement that these odious dickheads must be found.
Get this video circulated (Darryl, any contacts at the Beeb?) and surely it will end up with one of them being dobbed up or recognised.
Chris
11 July, 2011 at 11:15 am
@Steve – How? Quite simply, how? If they have no name, no address and only a picture please tell me how they are to trace him without anything else? With pubic support which is what I was proposing.
The CPS authorize charges as the police had the authority to decide charges removed about 6 years ago (in anything but very minor cases….), so yes, police physically say the words but the decision is no theirs.
I’ve kept my posts courteous and would appreciate the same. Thank you.
Paul
11 July, 2011 at 9:03 pm
Paul
I wouldn’t call your posts courteous or helpful but I won’t make an issue out of it. Move on …
Steve
11 July, 2011 at 9:45 pm
It’s been picked up by the Eening Stannart so hopefully these petty thugs will be getting a ride in a police car soon.
Steve
12 July, 2011 at 1:45 pm
It’s made the BBC website now:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-14127823
Big D
12 July, 2011 at 5:38 pm
I have sold quite a few of miniature HD quality DVR cameras to cyclists mainly for the traffic accidents they get involved in. The silent witness if you like. Exactly what this cyclist had.
This is shocking stuff and i see regulaly myself. I still have some of these cameras left if anyone would like a demo or see my videos on youtube. There are many types available and the ones i have are smaller than the bigger ones commonly used. mikeyranson@aol.com
mike
12 July, 2011 at 7:01 pm
Hooray! >>> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-14127823
Lara Ruffle
12 July, 2011 at 10:47 pm
A man has been arrested: http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/9139998.UPDATE__Man_arrested_over_cyclist_road_rage_attack/
Darryl
14 July, 2011 at 12:46 pm
Great news!
Steve
14 July, 2011 at 1:15 pm
What d’ya reckon? A caution?
I think we can safely rule out any community service plus compensation for the victim, which would be a just punishment.
Steve
14 July, 2011 at 2:57 pm
If/when the thug is convicted, we’ll get to know their name and address and maybe a bit more retribution will come their way.
Steve
14 July, 2011 at 4:27 pm
As there are (at least) two Steve’s on here, I tried to change my name to Steve2 but it got mod’d. Anyway, Take 2:
I wonder if the thug is known to the car owner, that would be a freakish coincidence.
Also, as he took the car without the owner’s permission, the police can add ‘Taking Without Owner’s Consent’ and ‘Driving Without Insurance’ to the charges.
Steve
14 July, 2011 at 4:51 pm
[...] you were lucky you didn’t get a smack in the jaw, Stephen. Things are getting nastier all the time out [...]
Cycle Babble | The Greenwich Phantom
20 July, 2011 at 8:38 am
[...] Alex finally got their festival – but On Blackheath has had to wait until this September.) 7. Violent attack on cyclist in Bexley Village (8 July) (Dartford thug John Nicholls captured on camera. He was later fined.) 8. Greenwich [...]
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