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Peel man spared jail after hitting cyclist while driving

Fifty-eight-year-old pleads guilty in Douglas Courthouse

A Peel man's been spared jail after knocking a cyclist off his bike after getting behind the wheel without a driving licence or insurance.

Fifty-eight-year-old Gary Thomas Beaulieu, of Staarvey Road, had previously pleaded guilty to driving without a licence or insurance and causing serious bodily harm by driving without due care and attention.

High Bailiff Jayne Hughes heard the incident happened on New Year's Day 2018, when Beaulieu needed to get to work.

In his spare time, Beaulieu drove off-road vehicles on private land and so decided to drive his wife's car.

After setting off, Beaulieu hit the cyclist, causing significant injuries, including smashed teeth and a fractured cheekbone.

The court heard in total, his victim had faced £12,000 in losses once medical bills had been paid.

After hearing Beaulieu was genuinely remorseful and had no previous convictions, Mrs Hughes sentenced him to 200 hours community service.

She also banned him from driving for two years, ordered him to pay £50 prosecution costs and £5,000 compensation – the maximum award she could make.

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