Pedestrian convicted of manslaughter of cyclist loses appeal

A pedestrian whose actions killed a 77-year-old cyclist when she was angered by her being on the pavement has failed in an appeal against her sentence.

Auriol Grey, on foot, and the deceased, on a folding bicycle, had been travelling in opposite directions on the same pavement of a Cambridgeshire town’s ring road. The defendant shouted and gestured in a hostile and aggressive way at the cyclist, causing the cyclist to fall off her bike and into the road where she was hit by an oncoming car. The cyclist died at the scene.

The case attracted national media coverage and much debate when Auriol Grey was jailed for three years after being convicted of manslaughter.

The Court of Appeal heard on Friday 19 May that following her imprisonment a psychologist (in a report paid for by Grey’s family) diagnosed her with autism. The defence sought to argue that the diagnosis may have made a difference in her case and led to the sentence being excessive.

The Court of Appeal judges Mr Justice Griffiths, sitting with Lord Justice William Davis and His Honour Judge Neil Flewitt KC concluded it was “not arguably manifestly excessive” and dismissed her application for leave to appeal.

Simon Spence KC was instructed by East of England CPS and attended the hearing on behalf of the Respondent.

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