An unusual incident has come before the courts, with two Irish club cyclists as the victims.
A farmer has been convicted in the courts in Northern Ireland after causing two club cyclists to crash.
The two riders were out training with their club, North Down CC, when what was described as a “bizarre” incident occurred.
Grant Shaw Stephen McKee (53), Ards, was ordered to give £600 in compensation to the two cyclists.
The court was told that Mr McKee took issue with the way Terry Nicoletti and Noel Boyce were cycling.
He believed they were riding too close to him. The court was told that as the cyclists got closer to him he was waving his arms.
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As they reached him on Ballyblack Road, Ards, on their ride on February 3rd, he pushed one of the cyclists.
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That caused one of the riders to crash into the other and both fell.
After the incident Mr McKee had told the police he was sorry. He added he had never intended for them to fall.
The cyclists ripped their cycling kit in the crash. One of their bikes was damaged and some grazing was sustained in the fall.
The damage to the bike that took the brunt of the crash was put at £250.
Mr McKee’s defence lawyer told Ards Magistrates Court his client was walking on the pavement and objected to how close the riders were to him on the road.
He was convicted on two counts of assault and two of criminal damage and must pay €300 to each the two cyclists.
After imposing the monetary sanction, Judge Mark Hamill gave McKee a conditional discharge of 12 months on each of the four charges.
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