London van driver jailed for deliberately injuring cyclist in road attack
Mark Okotie has been jailed for three-and-a-half years after deliberately driving his van into a cyclist in London. He was transporting blood to a hospital at the time, and the case has drawn attention to the cyclist’s serious injuries and the lasting effects of the attack.
Okotie, 44, was convicted of grievous bodily harm with intent at Woolwich Crown Court. Witnesses said his van crossed into the cyclist’s path and accelerated; the cyclist suffered fractures to the pelvis and femur and needed surgery. In a statement, the cyclist described avoiding people, stopping their regular runs and feeling panic when large vehicles approach.
In short
- Van driver Mark Okotie was jailed for three-and-a-half years.
- He deliberately struck a cyclist while carrying blood to hospital.
- The cyclist suffered multiple fractures and ongoing effects.
Explained simply
A road collision becomes a criminal case when a court finds that a driver deliberately used a vehicle to injure someone. Grievous bodily harm with intent is a serious offence involving severe injury and proof that the defendant meant to cause it.
The people at the centre of this case are Mark Okotie, who was driving a van, and the cyclist he struck in London. The cyclist’s injuries and account of lasting fear show how an attack can affect daily life long after the physical harm.
The van was carrying blood to a hospital, but that does not change the question the court considered: whether the collision was deliberate. The case also draws attention to the vulnerability of cyclists when they share roads with large vehicles.
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Daily Mail as “Van driver deliberately runs over cyclist while transporting blood to hospital – as he is jailed for three-and-a-half years”.