Derry Crown Court: Tyrone man jailed for causing grievous bodily injury to a cyclist

A man from Coalisland has been jailed at Derry Crown Court on a charge of inflicting grievous bodily injury due to dangerous driving.

Marcus Maguire (22) of Inishmore Gardens in Coalisland admitted a charge of causing grievous bodily injury to a cyclist on June 6 2021.

He also admitted a charge of failing to give a sample of blood on the same date.

The court heard that the injured party had gone out for a cycle around Lough Neagh at around 9.15am on Sunday June 6.

As he was cycling on a road with hidden dips and hills he saw a white vehicle on the same side of the road as he was and the next thing he knew was lying on the road having difficulty to breathe.

The injured party was taken to the Intensive Care Unit at the Royal Victoria hospital and remained there until June 22.

He was described as having 'multiple fractures' and required a high level of pain relief.

A witness told police he had been driving with his family and felt something strike his vehicle and saw Maguire's vehicle spinning on the road behind him.

It appeared that the defendant had tried to overtake the other vehicle approaching the brow of a hill and did not see the cyclist.

Maguire was said to have been 'upset and distressed' at the scene.

But he then refused to give a blood sample when requested by police to do so saying 'I don't do needles'.

The court heard that the victim had said his life was 'significantly poorer' since the incident.

Judge Philip Babington said that this was 'an appalling piece of driving on a road he knew well.'

He said to overtake a vehicle when he could not see what was happening was 'highly dangerous'.

He sentenced Maguire to three years in prison and disqualified him from driving for 5 years.