I’ve spent a good deal of time at Leeds Crown Court this week, watching the trial of Michael Richard Stephen Gledhill, accused of causing serious injury by dangerous driving in the incident that left John Radford with serious injuries that have left him disabled and needing constant care.
Other people in the public gallery have included John’s wife Pat, and their daughters Helen and Emma, who have all done their best to act with dignity. Given the nature of some of the evidence, that has not been easy for them at times. Members of Gledhill’s family have also been there, plus a CTC Councillor and CTC councillor-elect. As many of you may know, John was a CTC councillor at the time of the incident. Another AUK member, a good friend of John’s, was also there.
I did not construe the comments by the judge about John not wearing a helmet as indicating that this had in any way been a contributing factor in the injuries that John received. Within the context of what he was saying, this seemed clear, and I wrote as such in the notes that I was making at the time. Nothing was made about this during the trial by either prosecution or defence, and it was not mentioned in counsels’ closing speeches or the judge’s summing up.
Day one also saw counsels’ opening statements, a few delays resulting from the judge’s commitments in other cases, and a move to a different courtroom, so it felt that we hadn’t seen much done.
The evidence presented by the prosecution seemed fairly convincing as the second day drew on, with witnesses mostly presenting a coherent view of the incident and the events leading up to it over a short space of time. Forensic evidence linking paint fragments found on a mudguard stay cap had been found to match paint on the car’s front bumper. The presence of these fragments on that stay cap was strong support for the contention that there had been forceful contact between the car and the bicycle.
Day three dealt initially with statements Gledhill had made to police at various times after the incident. Gledhill had consistently denied that there had been any collision but his memories of the incident were very hazy, and he was unable to recall a lot of the details such as, for example, anything of what he had said to John or what John said to him while they were conducting a shouting match via his car window.
To some surprise in the public gallery, Gledhill himself was called as a witness, and defence counsel led him through a series of gentle questions about the whole affair and about his qualities as an NCO in the army. I have to say that I thought that the prosecution’s cross examination that followed this was brutal. My impression was that Gledhill’s credibility as a witness was demolished bit by bit. I’m probably biased in favour of John, but I couldn’t help feeling for the young man as this proceeded.
A lot of the detail is in the Huddersfield Examiner reports available on their website so I won’t go into that. In any case, following Gledhill’s testimony the defence requested an adjournment to consult with him and his family. When they returned, defence counsel said he would be calling no further witnesses.
That led us to today with closing speeches and summing up. The jury went out to consider at about 12.10pm, and everybody was called in at 2.55 pm, with whispers that there was a verdict. As most of you will know by now, the verdict was guilty.
The judge said that a custodial sentence was inevitable and a date for a sentence hearing of 25 November was agreed, giving time for reports to be prepared. Gledhill was also disqualified from driving with immediate effect until that date, when a formal ban will be imposed as well as the length of the custodial sentence.
There is absolutely nothing good that comes out of this affair for anybody who has been involved in it.
Martyn Bolt has posted on Facebook the Radford family’s statement made following the ending of the trial. For those who don’t do Facebook, here it is:
In a statement released through their solicitors Slater & Gordon, John’s family said: “After today nothing for us changes, our dad was a very active man. This completely avoidable incident has robbed him of his retirement choices, not only the sport of cycling which he lived for but the enjoyment of sharing things with his family especially his grandchildren.
“We also will have to live through the after effects of this tragedy. As there is not a glimmer of hope of any quality to dad’s life, it is truly torturous to live with.
“There are no winners in this case. The lives of two families – Gledhill’s and ours – have been changed by the events on that day and nothing will ever make up for that.”
Mr Radford’s family paid tribute to the people who had given them strength during the past 15 months.
“Throughout the last 15 months we as a family have received tremendous support from friends; family; Yorkshire Air Ambulance; Hospital staff in Leeds General Infirmary and York District Hospital; West Yorkshire Police; Cyclists' Touring Club (CTC) and the cycling community; Martyn Bolt, a cyclist himself and the former Mayor of Kirklees; Slater & Gordon lawyers; the staff at his current place of residence Woodlands Neurological Rehabilitation Centre in York
"John’s daughter’s Emma and Helen have received support and flexibility from employers Locala CIC and Leeds City College.”.