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Cyclist who killed London pedestrian jailed for two yearsPeter McCombie head and shoulders shot via Metropolitan Police.PNG

Cyclist who killed London pedestrian jailed for two years

Ermir Loka rode through a red light before crashing into Peter McCombie and fatally injuring him
by Simon_MacMichael
Thu, Jul 29, 2021 11:22
74

A cyclist who rode through a red light in east London and crashed into a pedestrian, causing fatal injuries, has been jailed for two years.

Peter McCombie, who had been on his way home from work as an administrator at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, died from his injuries a week after the crash on Bow Road 3 July last year. He was aged 72.

The cyclist, Ermir Loka, aged 23, fled the scene of the crash in Bow but handed himself into police, who had made extensive appeals including releasing CCTV images, more than three weeks later on 28 July.

The Albanian national, who had entered the UK illegally, said he did not stop after the crash because he was worried about his immigration status coming to light.

He pleaded not guilty at Snaresbrook Crown Court to manslaughter and causing bodily harm through wanton and furious driving, being acquitted on the first charge but convicted on the second one.

CCTV footage shown at the trial revealed that he would have had 8 seconds to see the red traffic light and stop there, but he carried on riding through it, colliding with Mr McCombie.

At his trial in March, Loka, who had been getting by on around three hours’ sleep a night as he worked two jobs, denied that he had ridden through the red light on purpose, and said he had been unable to brake ahead of the crash.

In a statement released after Loka was sentenced, Mr McCombie’s family said: “Peter’s loss has been immeasurable and has left a gap in our lives that we will never be able to fill.

“He was a man who loved his family, who had time for his circle of valued friends, and worked hard for his colleagues. He was a complete gentleman and everyone that knew him has been united in grief at the manner in which he was taken from us.

“The shock of losing him so abruptly, so suddenly, so unnecessarily, is something that will haunt us for a very long time to come. Peter still had so much left to do and enjoy with us and we have been robbed of that by the actions of this selfish man, who cycled into him and then immediately got up and fled.

“He left Peter laying in a busy road, seriously injured, and thought only of himself at that time. That kind of cowardice is beyond contempt,” they continued. “The anger we feel towards him is beyond words. We cannot even bear to say his name.

“He denied his actions and put us through the trauma of a trial, where we saw exactly what happened and lived our grief again and again. His actions are unforgiveable. We are glad that the jury saw through his lies and that he has been convicted.”

Detective Sergeant Eddie Coleman of the Metropolitan Police Service said: “Peter McCombie was a fit and active man who had had continued to work well past his retirement age. He was much loved by his family and friends and well-liked by his colleagues.

“My sympathies remain with Peter’s family, who have been through so much and supported us so steadfastly throughout our investigation and this trial. I would like to thank them for their courage and bravery and hope they know we have done the best we could for them, and for Peter.

“It can only be said that Loka’s actions were reckless and dangerous and entirely avoidable. If Loka had only just slowed and stopped at the red traffic light, we would not be here today,” he added.

Loka was jailed for two years on Monday, the maximum sentence for the offence of which he was convicted, with the time he will spend in prison taking into account the period he has already spent on remand.

Ermir Loka
Peter McCombie
causing bodily harm by wanton or furious driving
Simon MacMichael

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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68 comments

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Jenova20 replied to ChrisB200SX | 2 years ago
0 likes

ChrisB200SX wrote:

Jenova20 wrote:

ChrisB200SX wrote:

Quote:

The Albanian national, who had entered the UK illegally

Is it possible to enter the UK illegally? What exactly makes a particular way of getting into the UK illegal?

I suspect you already know, but want to play around and suggest we should have open borders.

I ask a genuine question and you assume I know the answer for some bizarre reason you've made up in your head. Quite bizarre and entirely unhelpful.

 

I said "i suspected" you knew the answer. Didn't accuse you directly, and am happy to know you're not advocating open borders.

Avatar
wycombewheeler replied to ChrisB200SX | 2 years ago
1 like

ChrisB200SX wrote:

Quote:

The Albanian national, who had entered the UK illegally

Is it possible to enter the UK illegally? What exactly makes a particular way of getting into the UK illegal?

1) arriving in a boat other than at a designated port of entry

2) arriving on a short stay visa with the intention to stay permanantly

3) arriving on a false passport

4) hiding in a vehicle to avoid detection by immigration officers

Avatar
ChrisB200SX replied to wycombewheeler | 2 years ago
2 likes

wycombewheeler wrote:

ChrisB200SX wrote:

Quote:

The Albanian national, who had entered the UK illegally

Is it possible to enter the UK illegally? What exactly makes a particular way of getting into the UK illegal?

1) arriving in a boat other than at a designated port of entry

2) arriving on a short stay visa with the intention to stay permanantly

3) arriving on a false passport

4) hiding in a vehicle to avoid detection by immigration officers

1. Is that actually illegal, or is not reporting to immigration authorities the illegal bit? So it's illegal to land on a beach or sail up the Thames to Reading?

2. That seems like illegal overstay rather than entering the country illegally?

3. That makes sense.

4. Is that actually entering the country illegally or rather illegally evading proper immigration authorities?

I ask because I keep seeing the term on the news "illegally entered the UK" and such only for people seemingly more educated on the matter to then say that's not a correct statement of the facts.

Avatar
wycombewheeler replied to ChrisB200SX | 2 years ago
0 likes

ChrisB200SX wrote:

wycombewheeler wrote:

ChrisB200SX wrote:

Is it possible to enter the UK illegally? What exactly makes a particular way of getting into the UK illegal?

1) arriving in a boat other than at a designated port of entry

.

1. Is that actually illegal, or is not reporting to immigration authorities the illegal bit? So it's illegal to land on a beach or sail up the Thames to Reading?

Technically it all falls into entering the UK without authority, which classes as illegal entry.

So any method of arrival which evades or avoids immigration controls would qualify, as only the border forces can grant the authority.

While overstaying visas or coming on a tourist visa and then working would define a person as an illegal immigrant, there could be an argument that they had not entered the country illegally, although I believe it would still be the case if they had always intended to overstay/breach their visa conditions. AS there would be an element of deception at the bordr similar to using a false passport. Proving intent is harder, although if someone is caught working within a few days of arrival it seems quite clear they did not arrive as a tourist and then stuff happened.

Avatar
brooksby | 2 years ago
11 likes

I'm not convinced that anyone could (edit) really be "getting by" on three hours of sleep a night...

That said, its a sad story and must have been devastating for the family of Mr McCombie.

 

(edit) And I don't mean to whatabout, but...  Compare and contrast with certain other cases where the person left lying in the road had been riding a bike and the person who left the scene was driving a car... 

Avatar
andystow replied to brooksby | 2 years ago
1 like

brooksby wrote:

I'm not convinced that anyone could (edit) really be "getting by" on three hours of sleep a night...

Depends for how long. The high placers of long cycling races like the RAAM average that for about a week.

Avatar
brooksby replied to andystow | 2 years ago
0 likes

andystow wrote:

brooksby wrote:

I'm not convinced that anyone could (edit) really be "getting by" on three hours of sleep a night...

Depends for how long. The high placers of long cycling races like the RAAM average that for about a week.

<shudder>

Avatar
wycombewheeler replied to andystow | 2 years ago
1 like

andystow wrote:

brooksby wrote:

I'm not convinced that anyone could (edit) really be "getting by" on three hours of sleep a night...

Depends for how long. The high placers of long cycling races like the RAAM average that for about a week.

and also a large proportion of the field on paris brest paris manage this for 3 nights

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