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2 LeJog deaths: Death by dangerous driving charge

Posted: 14 May 2014, 4:33pm
by ChrisButch
This relates to the death last year of two LeJog riders on the A30 in Cornwall.
http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Bude-man-charged-charity-cyclists-deaths-A30/story-21093210-detail/story.html

Re: 2 LeJog deaths: Death by dangerous driving charge

Posted: 14 May 2014, 4:41pm
by [XAP]Bob
They died in the crash with a white Renault lorry at about 8.30am on July 2.
Devon and Cornwall Police arrested the driver of the lorry on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. He was later released on bail.
Today the force announced Robert Wayne Palmer, 32, from Bude, had been charged with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving.
Palmer has also been charged with a further count of dangerous driving in relation to another crash on September 21 2013, on the A30 near Okehampton.
He has been released on bail to appear at Bodmin Magistrates Court on June 3 a police spokesman said.


So he was released on bail (for death by dangerous driving) and went on to be involved in another incident where he has again been charged with dangerous driving. He is now on bail again - please tell me he isn't still driving?

Edit to correct my sentence, there was only mention of death

Re: 2 LeJog deaths: Death by dangerous driving charge

Posted: 14 May 2014, 4:45pm
by jezer
I'm sure we all have our opinions on this case, and others like it, but perhaps we shouldn't comment until after the trial.

Re: 2 LeJog deaths: Death by dangerous driving charge

Posted: 14 May 2014, 4:52pm
by karlt
[XAP]Bob wrote:
They died in the crash with a white Renault lorry at about 8.30am on July 2.
Devon and Cornwall Police arrested the driver of the lorry on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. He was later released on bail.
Today the force announced Robert Wayne Palmer, 32, from Bude, had been charged with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving.
Palmer has also been charged with a further count of dangerous driving in relation to another crash on September 21 2013, on the A30 near Okehampton.
He has been released on bail to appear at Bodmin Magistrates Court on June 3 a police spokesman said.


So he was released on bail (for death by dangerous driving) and went on to be involved in another incident where he has again been charged with death by dangerous driving. He is now on bail again - please tell me he isn't still driving?


I only see one mention of causing death.

Re: 2 LeJog deaths: Death by dangerous driving charge

Posted: 14 May 2014, 4:59pm
by [XAP]Bob
Apologies - my misreading

I'll edit my first post.

Re: 2 LeJog deaths: Death by dangerous driving charge

Posted: 1 Jul 2014, 2:23pm
by ChrisButch

Re: 2 LeJog deaths: Death by dangerous driving charge

Posted: 1 Jul 2014, 2:26pm
by Mark1978
Some people aren't suited to driving vehicles. I would hope that at the very least he is never permitted to drive a heavy goods vehicle ever again.

Re: 2 LeJog deaths: Death by dangerous driving charge

Posted: 1 Jul 2014, 3:21pm
by [XAP]Bob
Robert Wayne Palmer appeared at Truro Crown Court on Friday, June 27, where he entered guilty pleas to causing the deaths of Toby Jak Wallace and Andrew Scott McMenigall by dangerous driving.
He further pleaded guilty to a charge of dangerous driving resulting in serious injuries to another driver on September 21, 2013 in a road traffic collision on the A30 near Whiddon Down, Okehampton, Devon, whilst he was on bail for the fatal collisions.
On both occasions he was driving a heavy goods vehicle.

--8<--

Palmer was released on conditional bail, together with an interim driving disqualification, until Monday, September 1 2014 in order for reports to be prepared.


Shame that driving disqualification wasn't applied first time round... (or rather to the myriad "minor" offences which undoubtedly preceded the initial slaughter).

Re: 2 LeJog deaths: Death by dangerous driving charge

Posted: 1 Jul 2014, 4:40pm
by thirdcrank
A year to get to court and in the meantime, a further serious offence has been committed, but nobody in authority seems to find this unacceptable or even worthy of comment.

Re: 2 LeJog deaths: Death by dangerous driving charge

Posted: 1 Jul 2014, 5:06pm
by [XAP]Bob
thirdcrank wrote:A year to get to court and in the meantime, a further serious offence has been committed, but nobody in authority seems to find this unacceptable or even worthy of comment.

A year to get to court seems about typical - I'll be in court in August for them to slap the wrist of the Porsche driver who rear ended me and then ran me over when I stood up to ask for insurance details.

Re: 2 LeJog deaths: Death by dangerous driving charge

Posted: 2 Jul 2014, 2:14pm
by ChrisButch
A year to get to court, but ninth months of that year consumed before the CPS even brought a charge, during which the second offence was committed. Given the guilty pleas, one has to assume that the evidence was pretty conclusive, so it seems unlikely that the CPS was occupied throughout that time in weighing up the pros and cons of a prosecution. Bureaucratic inertia seems the only plausible explanation.

Re: 2 LeJog deaths: Death by dangerous driving charge

Posted: 2 Jul 2014, 6:16pm
by Tonyf33
It has long being accepted that the CPS is not fit for purpose and are a bunch of rank amateurs to the detriment of those unfortunate enough to be on the end of wrong doing :twisted:
Wondering if this was an early guilty plea & thus the sentencing will take that into account and it be another example of ridiculous leniancy :roll:

Re: 2 LeJog deaths: Death by dangerous driving charge

Posted: 1 Sep 2014, 2:06pm
by Graham
BBC wrote:A lorry driver who killed two cyclists taking part in a charity ride from Land's End to John O'Groats has been jailed for eight and a half years.

Robert Palmer, 32 . . . . .


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-28983049

Re: 2 LeJog deaths: Death by dangerous driving charge

Posted: 1 Sep 2014, 2:25pm
by honesty
Interesting point of British law there, but he was actually found guilty and sentenced to 7.5 years for each of the deaths, but British law has these running concurrently.

Re: 2 LeJog deaths: Death by dangerous driving charge

Posted: 1 Sep 2014, 2:40pm
by beardy
thirdcrank wrote:A year to get to court and in the meantime, a further serious offence has been committed, but nobody in authority seems to find this unacceptable or even worthy of comment.


Well his solicitor even exploited it by saying in his client's mitigation "that he had no previous convictions."