A driver who deliberately ran over a cyclist after the victim spat on his luxury Land Rover while in a street fight has been sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Retired engineer Alan Moult, 74, left Nick Cook with multiple injuries after speeding over him “in a moment of madness” in Stockport, Greater Manchester in July 2020, a court was told.
Moments earlier, Moult had lost his temper when Cook accidentally collided with his vehicle at a traffic light after a garbage truck suddenly stopped in front of him.
Dashcam footage captured Moult’s wife Irene pleading with him to avoid the confrontation when Moult ran after the victim and blamed him for damaging his Freelander’s wing mirror.
“It’s not worth it – don’t do it, darling,” she said.
He ignored her and caught up with Cook to argue with him on the side of the road. After Cook spat on the bonnet of the Land Rover, Moult sat back in the driver’s seat, put his foot down and crushed the victim under the wheels of the car, heard the Court of Justice on Minshull Street, Manchester.
When Cook lay badly injured, Moult called him a “tail”.
The victim was left with a pelvis broken in two places, six broken ribs, and a punctured liver. He later lost his job and is now too scared to ride a bike. He still can’t bend down to tie his shoelaces, the court heard.
This week Moult admitted he caused serious injuries from dangerous driving. He was also banned from driving for three years, starting with his release from prison.
To mitigate this, his defense attorney Rachel Shenton said Cook gave “some level of incitement” in the run-up to the attack, but Moult expressed “bitter regret” for his act.
“If his vehicle hadn’t been damaged, it would never have happened. It was a moment of madness, “she told the court.
On convicting Moult, the judge, Recorder Dan Prowse, said of Cook’s spitting: “It was clearly a provocative act, but your reaction was grossly disproportionate. You purposely drove into and over Mr Cook, accelerated vigorously, pointed your vehicle straight at him, and he drove under your vehicle.
“Your wife screamed and was obviously shocked, but your response, knowing you had just run over this man, was to say the word ‘prick’.
“You were consumed with anger and wanted a confrontation with Mr. Cook. They deliberately struck down this man in anger in what could have been fatal. ”
