Motorcyclist spared jail after Lancing crash (From The Argus)
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Motorcyclist spared jail after Lancing crash
8:55am Thursday 25th October 2012 in News
A motorcyclist who left a cyclist fighting for his life has been spared jail.
James Barrow suffered serious head and leg injuries in the crash in Marlborough Road, Lancing, on September 16, 2011.
Honda motorcyclist Aaron Field, of Coleridge Close, Worthing, was charged with dangerous driving.
The 23-year-old pleaded not guilty but was convicted after a trial.
Field was given an 18-month driving ban and told to do 300 hours of unpaid work and to pay £700 costs and £1,645 compensation to Mr Barrow.
After the case, PC Jon Bennion-Jones, of Sussex Police Roads Policing Unit, said: “This was a serious crash in which a motorcyclist driving dangerously has ruined lives.
“The victim has suffered physical and psychological injuries that will stay with him for life and have seriously affected not only him, but also the lives of his wife and children.
“The sentence given reflects the seriousness of Mr Field’s driving, although he could have received a custodial sentence.”
Field will have to pass an extended driving test before he is allowed to drive again.
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Comments(26)
kopite_rob
says...
12:05pm Thu 25 Oct 12
Well that's a contradiction. If it was serious enough for a custodial sentence to be given and it wasn't he's got away with a slap on the wrists, whilst the poor victim and his family has a life sentence of physical and psychological injuries.
The law really is reprehensible in this country sometimes.
observer18
says...
1:33pm Thu 25 Oct 12
Forevertrue
says...
3:20pm Thu 25 Oct 12
charlie smirke wrote:Get the facts right, Mr Feild ran over to Mr Barrow despite being injured himself and checked that he was okay and sat with him until the ambulance came. He never rode off and just left him!
He not only rode off and left the victim but also then pleaded not guilty and still they don't jail him ??
I'm a friend of Mr Feild and reading that he is being made out to be a thug is horrendous! Aaron has also been left devastated by this accident, soon after it happened (over a year ago i might add) He suffered a serious breakdown and was signed off work. I have great sympathy for Mr Barrow and his family, I'm sure what they have been through has been horrible. But for the papers to make Aaron out to be a complete thug is wrong also, whatever sentence he was given would not be anything close to what he's been through in the last year.
For people saying about the justice system, he has lost his licence meaning he's lost his job/his lively hood. How is he meant to support his family now? There are people that get a lesser sentence for intentionally hurting someone. Aaron did not set off that day with the intention of causing an accident. It was an unfortunate event that had devastating outcomes for all parties involved.
People are far to quick to judge. I would never normally comment but something needed to be said.
snappyankles
says...
3:41pm Thu 25 Oct 12
Iamnoone
says...
3:52pm Thu 25 Oct 12
snappyankles wrote:I would like to inform everyone that following the accident Mr Field did infact suffer a breakdown caused by the lack of response given to him regarding Mr Barrows well being and did infact construct a letter of remorse that was presented in court following sentencing.
I would like to point out that at no point did Mr field appear to show any remorse for this incident, no compensation could be enough for the impact he has caused the Barrow family who are now left with no income due to the seriousness of Mr barrows injuries, as a parent I would like to think that on the three occasions he appeared in court if it were my son he would have had the decency to apologise and say sorry but alas no,I truly hope that he understands the devastation he has caused for his 30 seconds of stupidity.
LB
says...
4:29pm Thu 25 Oct 12
Genius - show no remorse and accept no responsibility by pleading not guilty and then, magically, after being found guilty and just before you're sentenced produce a letter to say how sorry you are? He's only sorry he'd been done, really isn't he?
It wasn't an 'unfortunate accident' he was riding his bike like a loon and injured an innocent person doing it.
He's lost his job? Great, maybe he'll think again when he gets his licence back and before he rides like that again.
Actions have consequences and Aaron Fields actions have had consequences for more people than just him - whether it's his family or someone elses. He's the last person I'll feel sorry for in all of this. In fact I'll go as far as to say I've got no sympathy for him at all.
Iamnoone
says...
4:37pm Thu 25 Oct 12
LB wrote:i believe its comments like this that show how one sided storie can be.
"Field did infact suffer a breakdown caused by the lack of response given to him regarding Mr Barrows well being and did infact construct a letter of remorse that was presented in court following sentencing"
Genius - show no remorse and accept no responsibility by pleading not guilty and then, magically, after being found guilty and just before you're sentenced produce a letter to say how sorry you are? He's only sorry he'd been done, really isn't he?
It wasn't an 'unfortunate accident' he was riding his bike like a loon and injured an innocent person doing it.
He's lost his job? Great, maybe he'll think again when he gets his licence back and before he rides like that again.
Actions have consequences and Aaron Fields actions have had consequences for more people than just him - whether it's his family or someone elses. He's the last person I'll feel sorry for in all of this. In fact I'll go as far as to say I've got no sympathy for him at all.
He never wanted sympathy, he only wanted his side to be heard.
wiseman2012
says...
4:41pm Thu 25 Oct 12
LB
says...
4:42pm Thu 25 Oct 12
His side of the story - that he wasn't guilty as charged - was found to be untrue.
charlie smirke
says...
4:46pm Thu 25 Oct 12
wiseman2012
says...
4:50pm Thu 25 Oct 12
LB wrote:Just because a judge deemed it untrue, it doesn't mean it is. The legal system is a complicated thing and in this case it got it wrong. Not everything is black and white
He had his day in court and was heard in full.
His side of the story - that he wasn't guilty as charged - was found to be untrue.
LB
says...
4:53pm Thu 25 Oct 12
Not from the victims point of view, he was just toddling along the road on his bicycle and a nutter on a motorbike ploughed into him.
It does sound like any remorse that's being felt is for the verdict, not the actions that resulted in it.
Forevertrue
says...
4:59pm Thu 25 Oct 12
LB
says...
5:02pm Thu 25 Oct 12
I think it's clear that Mr Fields freinds will defend him to the end despite any logical issues with feeling remorseful and accepting no guilt for ones actions so best I bow out of the discussion now.
wiseman2012
says...
5:08pm Thu 25 Oct 12
LB wrote:So your going with his point of view because he was hurt worse? or maybe its because Mr Field was on a motorbike? Just because Mr Field was on a motorbike does not mean to say he is a nutter. Sounds like someone is a little bias. It was a unfortunate accident which has affected both parties. Hopefully everyone can move on from this
"in this case it got it wrong."
Not from the victims point of view, he was just toddling along the road on his bicycle and a nutter on a motorbike ploughed into him.
It does sound like any remorse that's being felt is for the verdict, not the actions that resulted in it.
Gisher
says...
5:34pm Thu 25 Oct 12
p a t r i c k
says...
6:06pm Thu 25 Oct 12
I don't know about this case of course, but the sentence does strike me as being very low given the consequences for the cyclist.
As a cyclist I wish more car drivers rode motorcycles or scooters (if they must be motorised) as the riders of these vehicles leave more room for cyclists and in my experience they are more considerate.
rightstuff69
says...
6:32pm Thu 25 Oct 12
observer18 wrote:It should have been a jail sentence, how can someone put someone in intensive care and still plead not guilty.
Absolute disgrace. How must the poor victim's family feel? Whoever dreamed up this sentence must live in Cloud Cuckoo land. This was never justice.
Has he no remorse? admit when you have done wrong.
Iamnoone
says...
8:30pm Thu 25 Oct 12
I believe that it would be unfair to say he has been punnished enough (right or wrongfully) however it comes across that instead of being happy with the judges verdict and moving on, people are now trying to make him out to be someone that he possibly isn't and trying to destroy his reputation.
I'm not taking sides I'm just saying there is more than 1 side to a coin and we are only hearing the negatives.
rightstuff69
says...
8:59am Fri 26 Oct 12
Forevertrue
says...
3:59pm Fri 26 Oct 12
rightstuff69 wrote:How incredibly sad That people are invading his privacy by finding him on facebook, far too much time on there hands...hes had his punishment and will carry it out with his head held high and get on with his life.
As a motorcyclist myself, I understand the conditions of roads sometime leaves much to be desired. therefore even more reason to keep the speed down and expect the unexpected, especially when cornering. How did someone so foolish and leave someone in intensive care for 4 days think as it was just an accident, and plead not guilty. I have since looked at Aaron fields facebook page and he describes it as a completely unfair. I think putting a someone is intensive car should definatly be punished with a much harder sentance. I see from Facebook he now has a job as a lecturer starting on the 26th, God knows what he is lecturing, and god knows how the pupils will turn out!
wiseman2012
says...
5:03pm Fri 26 Oct 12
rightstuff69 wrote:Great, now you are going out of your way to furthur punish Mr Field. Please reframe from this otherwise it would appear you are almost spying on him. By spreading his personal life it shows how low you really are
As a motorcyclist myself, I understand the conditions of roads sometime leaves much to be desired. therefore even more reason to keep the speed down and expect the unexpected, especially when cornering. How did someone so foolish and leave someone in intensive care for 4 days think as it was just an accident, and plead not guilty. I have since looked at Aaron fields facebook page and he describes it as a completely unfair. I think putting a someone is intensive car should definatly be punished with a much harder sentance. I see from Facebook he now has a job as a lecturer starting on the 26th, God knows what he is lecturing, and god knows how the pupils will turn out!
Lambourne86a
says...
9:40pm Fri 26 Oct 12
charlie smirke
says...
10:19pm Fri 26 Oct 12
Iamnoone
says...
11:54pm Fri 26 Oct 12
rightstuff69 wrote:I would like to say that it is wrong to be spying on Mr Field over a social networking site like Facebook, it's starting to sound like you have a personal grudge against this man.
As a motorcyclist myself, I understand the conditions of roads sometime leaves much to be desired. therefore even more reason to keep the speed down and expect the unexpected, especially when cornering. How did someone so foolish and leave someone in intensive care for 4 days think as it was just an accident, and plead not guilty. I have since looked at Aaron fields facebook page and he describes it as a completely unfair. I think putting a someone is intensive car should definatly be punished with a much harder sentance. I see from Facebook he now has a job as a lecturer starting on the 26th, God knows what he is lecturing, and god knows how the pupils will turn out!
charlie smirke says...
11:26am Thu 25 Oct 12