Roger Parris' daughter wept as she told his killer she could no longer look at her wedding photos without being overcome by grief. Salford milkman Mr Parris, 63, was hit by a silver Volkswagen Golf as he cycled to work on the Centenary Bridge, heading towards Eccles.
The car was driven by Ravi Singh Ratthore, 22, who was behind the wheel unsupervised, despite only carrying a provisional licence at the time of the tragedy. More than a dozen of Mr Parris' loved ones watched on from the public gallery at Minshull Street Crown Court as his killer was jailed yesterday (Wednesday, July 5).
Heartfelt tributes were paid to Mr Parris in court during three victim impact statements. His daughter Heather spoke of the special moments she shared with her dad on her wedding day.
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Sharing her pain in court, she told His Honour Matthew Corbett-Jones that 'little did [she] realise' it would be the final time they spent together. "In my heart of hearts, I was so pleased my father was alive for the wedding," said Ms Parris.
"Driving me to the wedding in his 1968 MG, the ironic thing is that this is the last time I physically spent with my dad, on my wedding day." She added: "I look at my wedding photos now, I'm completely distracted towards the grief and loss of my father when I see the pictures."
The court heard Singh Ratthore failed to brake before driving into the back of Mr Parris at around 12.50am on December 20, 2021. Police believe he had been travelling at more than 52mph on the 40mph road, while his phone record showed he had been in a call before the collision, although prosecutors could not say if this was made with or without hands-free technology.
The Golf was not displaying L plates and Singh Ratthore was unsupervised at the time. Ms Parris told Singh Ratthore that following her father's death, she had to deal with the 'upheaval' of selling his home, which was previously going to be sold to allow his 'retirement by the sea'.
The court heard Mr Parris had worked solidly for 48 years, and was planning to retire in spring 2022. Ms Parris told his killer: "Since the death of my dad due to your actions I feel like I'll never experience freedom again.
"I feel you've stolen my dad from me and the rest of our family." Ms Parris also described suffering 'flashbacks' of the moment she had to identify her father's body in Salford Royal Hospital, following a tragedy that 'could have been avoidable'.
Mr Parris' son, Jack Parris, described his dad as 'not just a parent but a friend, my mentor and a beacon of strength for us all'. The statement, read by his uncle Andrew Parris, said: "Each day I grapple with the reality that my father will not be there for the small moments and the big milestones."
He added that Mr Parris' grandchildren, aged three months and two years old at the time of the crash, have been 'completely denied of any memory of ever having known their Pops'. Mr Parris had been an 'avid cyclist who was doing what he loved and something he had done countless times before' at the time of the fatal crash, which had left a 'silence that echoes around every corner of our lives', his son said.
In a statement read on her behalf, Mr Parris' sister Helen spoke of how she was missing a brother who gave her 'protection all my life', 'made a difference to so many people's lives' and served up 'famous Sunday roasts'. "Roger's fitness and zest for life has been completely wasted," she said.
"If Roger had not been killed by this man's callous carelessness he would have lived longer than any of us." His sister added: "I have a sadness in my heart that will never heal until we may meet again."
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The court heard Singh Ratthore was driving alongside a BMW which had occupants 'acting in a hostile way' as he approached Mr Parris, and the defendant was 'oblivious' to the cyclist. Singh Ratthore, of Lime Crescent, Old Trafford, pleaded guilty to causing death by driving without due care and attention; and causing death whilst driving not in accordance to his provisional licence.
He was sentenced to 14 months and disqualified from driving for three years and seven months. During the sentencing, Judge Corbett-Jones told Singh Ratthore: "As a result of what you did, Mr Parris received catastrophic fatal injuries and and despite all efforts could not be revived.
"What you did on December 20 has cost the life of a dearly loved father and grandfather. You will have to live with that on your conscience."
Defending, Neil Ronan said: "Nothing I can say will in any way express the remorse that this young man feels for the outcome of his actions in that ill-fated moment. Nothing I say can truly give any comfort to those that have been affected."
