A speeding motorcyclist has been jailed for 21 months after killing an 86-year-old man on a pedestrian crossing.
Daniel Redpath, 25, was riding a rare classic Aprilia RX 125 off-road bike when he hit Kunwar Singh on the eastbound lane of the Croydon Road in Bromley, Kent, on 18 April 2023.
The defendant was travelling at up to 64mph (103kmh) on the busy residential street where the speed limit was 40mph (64kmh), the Old Bailey heard.
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Mr Singh, a married father-of-two, would have been killed almost immediately on impact, the court was told.
Passers-by rushed to help but he was pronounced dead at the scene at 3.28pm.
Redpath denied he was driving dangerously but admitted the lesser offences of causing death by careless driving and driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence.
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Judge Richard Marks KC said on Wednesday that Redpath showed a “clear disregard for the rules of the road” as he jailed him for 21 months and gave him a three-year driving ban after he is released.
Praising the “heart-rending” victim impact statements given by Mr Singh’s son and daughter, the judge said it was clear their father was “hugely loved and respected”.
Mr Singh died just days before his golden wedding anniversary and his 80-year-old widow died in “heartbreak at the loss of her husband”, Mr Marks added.
Redpath only had a provisional driving licence at the time of the crash and was not displaying L plates on the front of his bike.
His full licence had been revoked after he accrued six penalty points within the first two years of qualifying.
There were no indicators or mirrors on the bike, whose rear tyre was unsuitable for use on the highway, the court heard.
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Just before the crash, Redpath had overtaken a transit tipper and was travelling at speeds of between 48mph and 64mph, jurors heard.
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It wasn’t clear if Mr Singh, who was part-way across the crossing, had seen the approaching motorbike before he was hit and knocked to the ground, prosecutor Anna Pope said.
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Redpath told police at the scene he had seen Mr Singh but thought he would stop and wait for him to pass, but instead walked out without looking.
Redpath had a previous conviction for driving whilst disqualified, along with a number of endorsements on his licence.
In mitigation, Jade Gambrill said the defendant had shown “significant remorse” and suffered from flashbacks and feelings of self-harm.
