A woman has been sentenced to three years in prison after she shouted and gestured at an elderly cyclist, who subsequently fell into the road and was hit by a car, and died. Celia Ward, 77, died after toppling off her bike and being hit by a car in October 2020 in Cambridgeshire, England, after Auriol Grey, 49, yelled at her to get off the sidewalk she was riding on toward the pedestrian. In CCTV footage released by Cambridgeshire Police, Grey, who is partially blind and has cognitive disabilities, is seen gesturing towards Ward and saying: "Get off the f***ing pavement". Ward is then seen entering the frame on her bike, falling into the busy road as Grey walks past her, after which she was fatally struck by a car and died at the scene. [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1631444170811355138]] Grey, who was arrested at her home in Huntingdon, had told the police she had disabilities and visual impairment and was afraid the bike would hit her as she walked on the sidewalk. She was convicted of manslaughter on Thursday and sentenced to three years in prison, with her lawyers launching an appeal after a bail application made on her behalf was denied. The court heard that Grey had expressed "no remorse" for her actions contributing to the death of Ward until pre-sentencing, and had walked away from the scene to a nearby supermarket before emergency services even arrived. David Ward, the decedent's husband of 53 years, shared his heartbreak at the tragedy in a statement following Grey's sentencing. He said: "After 53 years of happy marriage, Celia was taken from me in a most horrific way, leaving me with only my memories. She was kind, calm, careful, cheerful, and competent in all that she did. "Her death has caused me great suffering. We relied on each other, shared the same sense of humor and outlook on life, and enjoyed each other's company. I miss her terribly." [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/CambsCops/status/1631271709851385856]] The couple's daughter Gillian added: "Celia Ward was my mum, mother-in-law to my husband, and much-loved grandmother to my son, but most importantly, the love of my father's life. "Her untimely death has turned our world on its head and there isn't a day that goes by when I don't wish I could pick up the phone to ask her advice, celebrate the special events in our lives or just tell her how much I love her. "It's easy to say how wonderful my mum was… she was passionate about her family and always there to help and support us. She was of a generation that made and mended, kept a spotless house, and always put others first. "Her death has marred what should have been some of the most enjoyable times for us as a family. We can never forget the past two and a half years, but it's now time to start remembering the wonderful memories and times we had with mum, and hopefully find some peace." Prosecutor Simon Spence KC had told the court during proceedings that Grey was "angered by the presence of a cyclist on a footpath," <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-64824436">per the BBC</a>, though the sidewalk was confirmed to be a shared cycleway by Judge Sean Enright, sentencing. [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/SouthCoastPoet/status/1631354550278926336]] The judge added that Grey was "territorial about the pavement" and "resented" Ward for riding on it, despite it being a shared right of way. Jurors were told the oncoming car, driven by 33-year-old Carla Money, had "no chance to stop or take avoiding action" as Ward unexpectedly fell in front of it. Money had also testified about the impact Ward's tragic death had on her, admitting her world has "turned upside down" and there is "always a piece of me that feels guilty" despite there being nothing she could have done to avoid hitting the woman with her car. The judge added that although the jury was told Grey has cerebral palsy, "these actions are not explained by disability," adding that Grey lied to the authorities about what happened and had "not a word about remorse until today," per the BBC. [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/HeartNewsEast/status/1631297542225903623]] Grey's lawyer Miranda Moore KC claimed that "there was no intention to cause harm or an obvious risk of harm" and plans to appeal the sentencing. Detective Sergeant Mark Dolland added in a police release: "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 hope it is a stark reminder to all road users to take care and be considerate of each other." <h6>Featured image credit: Geoff Smith / Alamy</h6>

Woman jailed after yelling at cyclist, 77, to get off sidewalk before fatal car accident

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