Motorist said there's 'nothing dangerous' about his driving after killing West Yorkshire cyclist

Gregg Marsh is on trial at Leeds Crown Court for causing the death of Shaun Parkin-Coates on the A638 near South Elmsall, Wakefield. He has also been charged with the alternative offences of causing death by careless driving while unfit through drink or drugs, and causing death by careless driving.

His Ford Fiesta struck the cyclist which was heading in the same direction at around at 6.30am on December 21, 2019. He admits being the driver, but denies knowing he had struck him. He was later arrested at his home Ackworth where police found him in bed.

The 24-year-old had even driven on for another five miles with a badly-damaged car and smashed windscreen caused by the impact, but said he just wanted to get home.

Recorded police interviews with Marsh were played to the jury today in which he was heard to say to officers: “I heard a bang but I did not see anything. I did not think I hit a cyclist. I was looking through the windows. There was nothing dangerous about it.”

The court heard that Marsh failed a drink-drive test at the station, to which he sounded baffled and was heard to say he had only had “about half a Smirnoff (Ice)”, an alcopop drink which is a similar strength to beer.

He later admitted he drank another small can of cider before his arrest.

He blew 43 mcgs of alcohol in 100mls of breath three hours after the crash. The legal driving limit is 35 mcgs.

However, an expert claimed that if they were the only drinks he had consumed, his breath reading should have been close to zero.

The court also heard that Marsh had traces of cocaine and cannabis in his system.

Mr Parkin-Coates had been heading home from a night shift at the Next distribution centre when he was killed. Witnesses described him as being well lit, wearing reflective clothing, and lights on his rucksack and bicycle were turned on. One said he was “lit up like a Christmas tree”.

The defendant was driving from a friend’s home in Goldthorpe to his Bracken Hill home in Ackworth.

Giving evidence, witness Roger Bramley, who was driving in front of Marsh at the time, told the court that Marsh’s car drove up behind his own vehicle moments before the crash and was so close that Mr Bramley could not see his headlights. He also said he was swerving in the road.

However, he said Marsh’s Fiesta then dropped back and when Mr Bramley saw the cyclist – who was around a metre from the kerb – he indicated and moved out in an “exaggerated” fashion to give Mr Parkin-Coates enough space.

But he said that Marsh “stayed in line” with the cyclist before striking him.

During cross-examination, Marsh’s barrister, Matthew Harding, questioned whether Mr Bramley had braked so quickly when he approached the cyclist, that it did not give Marsh enough time to see the cyclist himself. Mr Bramley denied he had.

The trial continues and is expected to last the rest of the week.