Pensioner denies causing the death of Hornchurch man who was knocked off his bicycle 150m from his work, court hears
The Central Criminal Court also referred to as the Old Bailey, on Old Bailey, central London. Photo: PA - Credit: PA Archive/PA Images
A Hornchurch man was just 150m from his workplace when he was knocked off his motorcycle by a pensioner and suffered fatal injuries, a court heard.
Christopher Holt, 58, from Hornchurch, suffered a broken back when he was hit by Joan Martino’s car on Rainham Road, Rainham, on May 11, 2016 and died due to complications from a blood clot four days later, the Old Bailey heard.
Prosecutor Ben Temple told jurors how Mr Holt was wearing a high visibility vest and was only 150 metres from work when he was knocked off his bike.
Martino’s Toyota was seen to “drift” towards the curb and into Mr Holt’s bicycle, the court heard.
Mr Temple said: “Put simply in everyday language, this defendant knocked the deceased off his bicycle causing Mr Holt to travel through the air, landing first on the pavement. He then rolled into the road.”
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Mr Holt also hit her bonnet, leaving a dent, jurors heard.
The defendant stopped at the scene and appeared to be “shaky and in shock”, Mr Temple said.
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She claimed she had not seen Mr Holt before hitting him.
Mr Temple said: “As a result of the collision, Christopher Holt suffered a fracture to his spine. As a result of that injury he suffered a pulmonary embolism and died.”
He explained Mr Holt’s injury required enforced bed rest in hospital, where he developed deep vein thrombosis.
He got a blood clot in his leg that moved through his body, resulting in his death within 100 hours of the crash, the court heard.
Martino, 71, of Denmark Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk, denies causing the death of Mr Holt by careless driving.
