Driver who killed cyclist after texting jailed

A woman who knocked down and killed a cyclist in County Down shortly after sending messages on her phone has been handed a two-year sentence at Craigavon Crown Court.

At an earlier hearing, Nicole McGeown, 31, from River Glade Manor in Lurgan, admitted causing the death of 57-year-old Ronald Walker on the Lisburn Road in Moira in March 2020.

At sentencing, Judge Patrick McGurgen said McGeown had sent two messages in the moments leading to the collision and that her "manner of driving and using the phone continued for a period of time.

He ordered that she serves half her sentence in jail and half on licence. He also imposed a four-year driving ban.

The judge added that in the moments before the fatal impact McGeown was paying more attention to a car that had overtaken her rather than the road in front of her.

He told the court that it was his view that "this was more than the use of a mobile phone".

"You were texting while driving, you veered into the verge twice," he said.

"This was not a momentary lapse."

The judge said that despite the impact on her two young children, "this offence is so serious" and there was an overriding need to deter others. He said that "it can only be met by an immediate custodial sentence".

The court heard that told McGeown had been driving her Seat Leon along the A3 towards Moira when the fatal impact occurred shortly before 18:00 GMT on 26 March 2020.

McGeown failed to see Mr Walker on his bike and crashed into the back of him, sending him to the side of the road and his bicycle over a hedge.

Police and paramedics attended the scene, but the father-of-two was pronounced dead at the scene.

The judge said police spoke to another driver who was behind McGeown who said he noticed the Seat Leon veer over to the nearside on two occasions to such an extent that it "kicked up dust" from the verge.

The court also heard that despite being behind McGeown's car, he was able to see the cyclist ahead.

He told police he overtook McGeown and the cyclist but as he was ahead of them, "a flash of movement" in his mirror caught his attention so he turned back and found McGeown sitting in the driver's seat of her car, on the phone to the emergency services.

McGeown denied to police that she had been using her phone and "could not explain why" she had failed to see the cyclist.

She then claiming that she had used the phone once when she was sitting stationary at a junction.

Police obtained CCTV footage which disproved that claim and when her phone was seized officers established in the five minutes prior to the incident she had sent and received two messages, and accessed Facebook.

The judge told the court he had read the "heartfelt and powerful" victim impact statement written by Mr Walker's sister which detailed how loved and missed her brother is.

"He didn't get to see his daughter's graduation, didn't get to walk her down the aisle and won't get to hold his grandchildren," said Judge McGurgen.

He said nothing either his court nor the defendant can do "will turn the clock back".

Assistant Director of the Public Prosecution Service Eilis McGrath said it was a "very sad case where Ms McGeown's use of her mobile phone while driving was a significant contributing factor to the collision which killed Ronald Walker".

"Using a mobile phone whilst driving not only diverts attention from the road but significantly increases the risk of fatal accidents," she said.

"Mr Walker was a much-loved husband and father and his loss in these painful circumstances have left a terrible void in the lives of his family and friends."