An Uber Eats rider who skipped a red traffic light and crashed into a pedestrian, leaving her with a broken foot, has been spared a road ban.
Fatima Haridhoine, 37, was making her rounds on an e-bike when she ignored the lights in Queens Road, Peckham, and ran over a woman who was crossing in front of her.
The victim, in her 40s, suffered a broken foot and a painfully bruised rib, Westminster magistrates court heard, and was off work for a month as she recovered from her injuries.
Haridhoine was charged with riding a bicycle without due care and attention following a Metropolitan Police investigation into the incident on September 10 last year.
She denied the charge but was found guilty following a trial in May, and appeared in court again on Tuesday to be sentenced.
Haridhoine, a single mother-of-two from Bexley, told the court she earns £20,000-a-year as an Uber Eats rider - in a job she has held for the last 12 months.
“I could disqualify you from driving”, said District Judge John Zani. “If you are driving late at night, you have got the duty to make sure you drive properly.
“You didn’t admit your guilt, it went to trial, and you were not believed.
“But it’s your form of employment and I’m not going to disqualify you.”
Haridhoune was handed eight penalty points on her driving licence, a £150 fine, and £450 compensation to the injured woman who was not named in court.
Describing the incident, prosecutor David Burns said it happened at just before midnight when the pedestrian crossing light on Queens Road had turned green.
“This lady was riding an e-bike at the time, working for Uber deliveries”, he said.
“She has crashed into the complainant.
“In her statement, the victim says she broke her foot, she was unable to travel, she couldn’t work or move for a month.
“She had to cancel trips abroad.”
Haridhoine, who told the court she is technically self-employed, said of the incident: “It was dark, I didn’t see her. It was just before midnight.”
When first told she would be receiving penalty points on her licence, Haridhoine told the judge: “It was a bicycle, I have to pedal.”
But the judge told her: “It doesn’t matter – there’s a form of motor attached, and once started the bike helps you to move.”
Haridhoine has been given six months to pay off the fine and compensation, and left court on a bicycle.
