Cyclist punched driver in A148 row over car being too close

Christopher Lopez, 33, admitted attacking the 69-year-old motorist after a violent confrontation on the A148 near King’s Lynn.

Norwich Magistrates’ Court was told he had punched the driver to the face causing him to fall to the floor when the two squared up.

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Josephine Jones, prosecuting, said Lopez had been cycling in the same direction as the driver’s Peugeot between the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Knight Hill roundabouts on September 26. 

As they approached the second roundabout the car had passed close to the rider who later claimed to have been hit by its wing mirror, she said.

Both cyclist and car had been travelling between the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Knight Hill roundabouts near King's Lynn (Image: Google)

A camera on the bicycle had captured the subsequent confrontation including Lopez making foul-mouthed threats before he punched the driver.    

Tesco worker Lopez, of Bunnett Avenue, King's Lynn, pleaded guilty to assault. 

He told police his previous experiences while cycling had made him feel unsafe on the roads and threatened by the driver who he accused of behaving threateningly.   

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Richard Mann, mitigating, said: “He says that this driver got too close and that he was struck by the wing mirror. After he pushed the wing mirror in, the man squared up to him but he is not seeking to claim that he acted in self-defence. 

“He accepts that he could have dealt with it in a better way.” 

Ms Jones said the motorist, who suffered facial injuries, had issues with his mobility and if he had fallen differently he could have been more seriously injured. 

District Judge Elizabeth Jones gave Lopez a 12 month conditional discharge warning him that any offending would see him punished further.

He was also told to pay £200 compensation to the motorist.