A woman jailed for the mansalughter of a cyclist told police she ‘couldn’t remember’ saying ‘get off the f***ing pavement’ seconds before the 77-year-old was killed by an oncoming car.
Auriol Grey, 49, shouted at retired midwife Celia Ward to “get off the f****** pavement” in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. It caused the 77-year-old grandmother to fall into the road, where she was fatally struck by a car.
New footage of Grey’s police interview shows she told them “I can’t remember” when pressed for details of what happened during the incident.
Grey is said to have shouted and waved her arm aggressively at Ms Ward before she fell into the path of an oncoming car and was killed.
After the incident, Grey left the scene to do her shopping before telling police she didn’t speak to emergency services because “they weren’t there”.
Ms Ward, of Wyton, Cambridgeshire, died from her injuries after being struck by the car on 20 October 2020.
The 49-year-old denied manslaughter but was found guilty after a retrial at Peterborough Crown Court and was jailed for three years.
It comes after a friend of Grey, who has cerebral palsy, said the 49-year-old fears being bullied in jail.
The friend, who asked to remain anonymous, told the MailOnline that she is “dreading” going to prison.
He said:“She is in the medical unit at a holding jail but is worried that when she starts mixing with the other female prisoners or is moved elsewhere she will be the victim of bullying which has happened her whole life.
“She is a good person, a lovely person and is very remorseful for what happened but because of her disability people are not very nice to her. They are horrible.”
During Ms Grey’s sentencing, Judge Sean Enright said: “These actions are not explained by disability.”
He said that Grey had no mental disorder or learning difficulties, and that the pavement was 2.4m wide at the relevant point, describing it as a “shared path on the ring road”.
The driver of the car which collided with Mrs Ward, Carla Money, who was with her two-year-old daughter at the time, said that her life was “turned upside down” by what happened.
Miranda Moore KC, mitigating for Grey, said: “What happened took but a moment that has impacted on many.”
She said that Grey’s “present opinion is where the pavements are narrow the cyclists… should cycle on the road”.
“There was no intention to cause harm or an obvious risk of harm,” she said.
She said witnesses had said that Grey “seemed childlike”, and that she lived in adapted special accommodation.
After the judge passed his sentence on Thursday, Ms Moore indicated that an appeal would be submitted against this and a request for bail would be made.
Detective Sergeant Mark Dollard, who investigated, said: “This is a difficult and tragic case.
“Everyone will have their own views of cyclists on pavements and cycleways, but what is clear is Grey’s response to the presence of Celia on a pedal cycle was totally disproportionate and ultimately found to be unlawful, resulting in Celia’s untimely and needless death.
“I am pleased with the verdict and hope it is a stark reminder to all road users to take care and be considerate to each other.
“I want to take the time to acknowledge Celia’s family and thank them for their patience and dignity throughout the entirety of the investigation and trial.”
