Driver killed A1 cyclist

Nigel Kenneth Brining admitted causing death by careless driving at Worksop Magistrates’ Court on 28th November.

The court heard how Brining, 45, of Denshaw Grove, Morley, Leeds, was driving his lorry on the northbound carriageway of the A1 just after 4am on 6th April this year.

Defending, Andrew Vickers said Brining had seen a red light ahead but failed to realise it was a rear bicycle light, instead thinking it was an illuminated roadside bollard.

“He has been badly affected by what happened. He realised almost straight away that he was responsible for the death of another person,” he said.

The court heard that Brining knew the road well and had a clean driving record. On that morning he had not driven over his hours, and was travelling at 50mph.

But seeing the red light 150-200 metres ahead, he did not take evasive action before it was too late.

He hit cyclist Stephen Warrington, 60, from Leicester, who died later at Bassetlaw Hospital.

Both prosecution and defence debated whether Mr Warrington should have been on the A1 in the dark at 4am, but concluded that the law allowed him to be.

He had been doing a long distance ride which he undertook annually, and was wearing sufficient reflective gear and lights.

Magistrates banned Brining from driving for 12 months and imposed a six-week prison sentence, suspended for a year, to include 200 hours’ unpaid work in the community.