A bereaved mother sobbed in court as the man who drove into the back of her cyclist son was banned from driving for two years.

Matthew Clarke, of Nicholson's Grove, Colchester, admitted careless driving at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court yesterday.

The court heard that Clarke, a fitness instructor, was on his way to work from his former home in Great Notley on September 11, when he drove into the back of cyclist John Fradgley on the Coggeshall bypass.

Passers-by, including an off-duty paramedic, came to Braintree man Mr Fradgley's aid, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

David Bryant, prosecuting, said the 23-year-old could not explain to police why he failed to swerve.

He added the crash had had a devastating effect on the victim's 77-year-old widowed mother, also of Braintree, who depended heavily on her son.

She has since been in hospital with depression and her diabetes has worsened to the extent that she has to inject herself with insulin.

Nicholas Chapman, mitigating, said Clarke was full of remorse.

He said: "For weeks afterwards he was regularly in floods of tears.

"Even now he remains extremely distressed."

He added that Clarke, a man of previous good character, had been driving well under the 60mph limit in a line of cars. He followed the movement of the vehicle in front as it avoided Mr Fradgley.

Clarke, a university graduate, told police after the crash that he could not understand why he had hit the cyclist who was not more than 0.5 metres from the kerb and Mr Chapman said since then he had blotted the accident from his mind.

As well as imposing the two-year ban, magistrates said Clarke must take an enhanced test before his licence was handed back and pay a £400 fine.

The victim's brother George Fradgley, who attended court with his mother, spoke to the Evening Gazette.

He said: The family would like to extend their thanks to the people who stopped to help John by the roadside.

Published Friday, May 23, 2003

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