Gloucestershire driver who sped up to get away from police admits killing cyclist

A 36-year-old driver from Gloucestershire has admitted killing a cyclist after speeding up to try and get away from police officers who were following him because he had no insurance.

Joseph Marchant was killed on 27 October this year in Bisley Road, Stroud, with his bike dragged under the Saab car driven by Daryl Ackland, reports Gloucestershire Live.

Police arrested Ackland, from Stroud, following a search which also involved dog handlers. Three other people were also arrested but were subsequently released without charge.

Appearing at Gloucester Crown Court via videolink from Hewell Prison near Redditch, Ackland pleaded guilty to causing the death of Mr Marchant by dangerous driving, and also admitted driving without insurance.

Officers had begun to follow him because they believed he was uninsured, and recorded dashcam footage of his driving, but not the fatal crash itself.

The police collision investigator is still compiling a report on the incident, and Judge Michael Cullum, who has ordered it to be completed by 30 December, said its findings would determine the sentence Ackland would receive.

If the report determines he was travelling at a “greatly excessive” speed, the judge said that the starting point for the sentence would be five years in jail; if below that, the starting point would be three years.

Speaking in defence of Ackland, Claire Buckley said: "His basis of plea is that he accepts he was going in excess of the limit and that was dangerous because the roads were narrow and he should not have been travelling at that speed.

“He does not accept he was travelling at a greatly excessive speed.

"The dashcam evidence will probably assist on whether the speed was greatly excessive."

Ackland has been remanded in custody until at least 9 January.