Northern Ireland’s David McCall continued racing until his death aged just 46 years
A Liverpool businessman who admitted causing the death in a road traffic collision of the well known and popular Northern Irish international cyclist David McCall has walked free from court today, Thursday, after having his sentence suspended.
Michael Croome (28), with addresses at Cliftonville Road, Belfast, and Priory Warf, Chester, last December pleaded guilty to causing Mr McCall’s death through careless driving.
He had at first been charged with the more serious offence of death by dangerous driving but a guilty plea to the lesser charge was accepted at Antrim Crown Court. He was sentenced for the conviction today.
Croome was originally jailed for five years for causing Mr McCall's death by dangerous driving.
He served 10 months of that term before his conviction was over-turned and he was released and a new trial ordered.
Advertisement
Last December at that retrial the prosecution accepted his plea to the lesser charge of causing death by careless driving. Today he was given an 18-month suspended sentence on account of his ten months already spent in prison related to the crime.
He had two previous convictions for speeding and one for careless driving. He had been convicted of two further speeding offences after the incident in which Mr McCall was killed.
The convicted man was described in court as a businessman with a number of retail outlets in England, Scotland and Wales
Related News
Mr McCall was fatally injured as he raced on the Belfast Road at Nutts Corner on August 12th, 2008. He was hit by a car driven by Croome, who was rushing on his way to catch a flight from Belfast International Airport.
Croome did not immediately stop at the scene and instead drove on for a short distance. However, he then returned to where his car had hit Mr McCall.
The prosecution in Croome’s case said that Mr McCall had swerved to avoid a dog before the accident happened and that the defendant had been driving too fast and too close to the cyclists.
The Maryland Wheelers rider was killed during a club race. A car overtook a group of riders and knocked the 46-year-old off his bike – which broke in half - and into the air, killing him almost instantly.
The father of two, who worked as a civil servant and also co-ran the SportActive cycle and activity holiday company, had represented Northern Ireland at three Commonwealth Games and had medalled in one.
Following his retirement from international racing, Mr McCall served as an executive of Cycling Ulster.
He qualified as a level three coach and commissaire, and was the driving force behind the motorcycle marshal training scheme.
He was also involved with the Braveheart Fund, which raises funds to help young riders. A member of the Maryland Wheelers club in Lisburn, after his death the club established a charitable foundation in his name to support cycling in Ulster; the David McCall Foundation.
In 2009 and 2010 – it’s first two years in operation – it raised almost £20,000 to help Ulster cyclists, from youth to elite level, and also to support a number of races and sportives.
Topics
