Swaffham cyclist, 67, admits road rage during incident with motorist

A 67-year-old cyclist has admitted two charges brought in connection with a road rage incident in Swaffham.

Stephen Mannion leant through a car window, trying to get at the driver who had stoked his anger by braking sharply in front of him.

It was the first time Mannion had been before a court and the incident had been a “very salutary lesson”, magistrates in Lynn were told yesterday.

He was ordered to pay £1,334.30 in compensation after damaging the complainant’s BMW car.

Prosecutor Collette Harper described how the incident unfolded firstly in West Acre Road, with Mannion shouting and swearing at the motorist.

The car driver warned the cyclist that his dashcam would be recording his language.

When he stopped outside Asda to retrieve the footage, Mannion cycled up to him and stuck his head through the driver’s open window, still shouting and swearing.

“The complainant leant across to the passenger side to avoid the defendant hitting him,” said Miss Harper.

The driver got out of the front nearside door and began to call police. He then grabbed the handlebars of the bike as Mannion went to make off.

The bike came in contact with the car during the incident, some of which was witnessed by a woman with a young child.

Andrew Cogan, mitigating, said his client had sought the help of an anger management counsellor since the incident.

“Had it not been for the BMW stopping abruptly and almost crashing into him, none of this would have happened,” added Mr Cogan, who said Mannion was “deeply remorseful” and had made a handwritten apology to pass on to the complainant.

Mannion, of Bells Park, Swaffham, pleaded guilty to using threatening behaviour and criminal damage on September 11, 2020.

He was given a six-month conditional discharge on each offence and the compensation order.