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Six years in jail for speeding drunk driver who killed cyclist

Family of victim Thomas Dunleavy asked judge “to send out a clear message that our roads are not race tracks”

A motorist who killed a cyclist when he drove his car at speed along a road in Cheltenham has been jailed for six years. The victim's family had called on the judge to impose "the maximum sentence to send out a clear message that our roads are not race tracks.”

Gloucester Crown Court heard that witnesses had said that Alexander Organ, aged 23, was driving at a speed estimated to be between 60 and 90 miles an hour when he struck cyclist Thomas Dunleavy in June last year, killing him instantly.

Mr Dunleavy, aged 48, had been cycling home from a Sainsbury’s supermarket on Priors Road when the fatal crash happened at 8.40pm on the evening of 17 June 2017, reports Gloucestershire Live.

Organ, who had been at a pub in Bishop’s Cleeve with his father, failed to stop at the scene and was traced by police 1 hour 40 minutes after the collision. He had returned home, then went back out.

He pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, although it was only three months later that he admitted to police, who had employed a team of forensic officers to try and piece together the evening’s events, that it was his vehicle and he had been at the wheel.

Julian Kesner, prosecuting, said that one motorist said recalled how she heard “squealing tyres” as Organ went through a roundabout, while another witness said she saw him “flying past her and overtaking two other vehicles.”

A pedestrian was forced to jump out of the way as the motorist, a roofer by trade, sped by, while a mother walking with her children along the road pulled them back as far as she could to protect them.

Immediately before hitting Mr Dunleavy, Organ had overtaken another motorist then went the wrong side of a traffic island, hitting a kerb then striking the cyclist, whom the prosecutor said was “doing nothing wrong.”

Mr Kesner continued: “He was just coming back from Sainsbury's. The impact sent Mr Dunleavy into the air. He collided with railings while still in the air and he sustained multiple injuries and died immediately at the scene.”

When Organ was arrested later that evening, he was just above the drink-drive limit, although expert testimony put forward by the defence suggested he would have been around two times over it.

Prior to sentencing, the court hear a statement from Mr Dunleavy’s brother Patrick in which he called on the judge to impose the maximum penalty possible.

Causing death by dangerous driving carries a maximum punishment of 14 years' imprisonment, although in practice that is never imposed and factors such as a guilty plea also reduce the term handed down.

The letter described the effect of Mr Dunleavy’s death on his family, who avoid the area where he was killed.

"My sister won't even drive in the direction of Priors Road now,” he said. “My other sister who cycles to work every day has changed her route to avoid the daily reminder of what happened. We all try to avoid this road.

"Our family find it incomprehensible that having done something so horrific he [Organ] did not go to the police and admit what he had done straightaway."

He added: "We as a family call for the maximum sentence to send out a clear message that our roads are not race tracks.”

In mitigation, Steve Young said that Organ had undergone counselling, was genuinely remorseful about what he had done, and that his initial refusal to comment to police was based on advice from his previous solicitor.

He also read out a letter that Organ had written to the family of Mr Dunleavy, who worked with the Learning Disability Partnership Board in Cheltenham.

In the letter, Organ wrote: "Not a day goes by when I don't think about what I have done and the pain I have caused you all. I will be forever in your debt.

"I know you want to see justice for Tommy and I do too. I deserve everything I get today.

"If I could do anything to go back and change that day I would in the blink of an eye,” he continued.

“I know forgiveness is impossible – I am writing so that you know I know I deserve what I get. I truly am sorry to have caused you pain."

The solicitor attempted to convince the judge that the case should not fall within the highest sentencing category, as the prosecution had asserted, arguing that the dangerous driving was not “prolonged” but the judge rejected his argument.

Sentencing Organ to six years’ imprisonment and banning him from driving for six years, Judge Ian Lawrie QC said: "This was an appalling piece of driving over half a mile at those speeds and in those conditions in an urban area.”

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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13 comments

Avatar
oldstrath | 6 years ago
3 likes

Lots of bullshit from the killer, but he still has his weasel trying to reduce the sentence, and does anyone seriously belief he won't drive as soon as he's released?

Avatar
Paul_C | 6 years ago
8 likes

"Organ had undergone counselling, was genuinely remorseful about what he had done"

bollocks... he was really upset in having been caught...

Avatar
Housecathst | 6 years ago
6 likes

It’s amazing that this need to say,

”striking the cyclist, whom the prosecutor said was “doing nothing wrong.””

but that being said I bet the jury of motorist were desperately try to find a reason why it was all the cyclists fault.

Avatar
Bluebug replied to Housecathst | 6 years ago
1 like
Housecathst wrote:

It’s amazing that this need to say,

”striking the cyclist, whom the prosecutor said was “doing nothing wrong.””

but that being said I bet the jury of motorist were desperately try to find a reason why it was all the cyclists fault.

If you plead guilty there is no jury.

Also the jury have to listen to the instructions of the judge who tend to be old, white, privately educated and male.

Avatar
Canyon48 | 6 years ago
3 likes

Utterly unbelievable.

What REALLY makes me angry is I know plenty of people who will happily drive even when they know they are far too drunk.

Living in a village in the countryside, I see plenty of (very obviously) drunk drivers every Friday and Saturday night. In fact, plenty of people park outside one of the local pubs and, rather blatantly, stagger out the pub and get straight in their cars...

Avatar
emishi55 replied to Canyon48 | 6 years ago
3 likes

wellsprop wrote:

Utterly unbelievable.

What REALLY makes me angry is I know plenty of people who will happily drive even when they know they are far too drunk.

Living in a village in the countryside, I see plenty of (very obviously) drunk drivers every Friday and Saturday night. In fact, plenty of people park outside one of the local pubs and, rather blatantly, stagger out the pub and get straight in their cars...

 

and imagine the reaction if any of those cars became somehow unusable.

Avatar
Canyon48 replied to emishi55 | 6 years ago
1 like

emishi55 wrote:

wellsprop wrote:

Utterly unbelievable.

What REALLY makes me angry is I know plenty of people who will happily drive even when they know they are far too drunk.

Living in a village in the countryside, I see plenty of (very obviously) drunk drivers every Friday and Saturday night. In fact, plenty of people park outside one of the local pubs and, rather blatantly, stagger out the pub and get straight in their cars...

 

and imagine the reaction if any of those cars became somehow unusable.

Too right...

Silly thing is, I know at least one of the "regulars" has a driving ban for drink driving (it was in the newspaper and, you know, everyone hears about everything in a little village), yet they still drive their car to and from the pub. Not like there's any police (let alone traffic police) around here anyway  7

Avatar
grumpyoldcyclist replied to Canyon48 | 6 years ago
9 likes

wellsprop wrote:

emishi55 wrote:

wellsprop wrote:

Utterly unbelievable.

What REALLY makes me angry is I know plenty of people who will happily drive even when they know they are far too drunk.

Living in a village in the countryside, I see plenty of (very obviously) drunk drivers every Friday and Saturday night. In fact, plenty of people park outside one of the local pubs and, rather blatantly, stagger out the pub and get straight in their cars...

 

and imagine the reaction if any of those cars became somehow unusable.

Too right...

Silly thing is, I know at least one of the "regulars" has a driving ban for drink driving (it was in the newspaper and, you know, everyone hears about everything in a little village), yet they still drive their car to and from the pub. Not like there's any police (let alone traffic police) around here anyway  7

What are you waiting for, another death, dob them in for god's sake?!

Avatar
Canyon48 replied to grumpyoldcyclist | 6 years ago
2 likes
grumpyoldcyclist wrote:

wellsprop wrote:

emishi55 wrote:

wellsprop wrote:

Utterly unbelievable.

What REALLY makes me angry is I know plenty of people who will happily drive even when they know they are far too drunk.

Living in a village in the countryside, I see plenty of (very obviously) drunk drivers every Friday and Saturday night. In fact, plenty of people park outside one of the local pubs and, rather blatantly, stagger out the pub and get straight in their cars...

 

and imagine the reaction if any of those cars became somehow unusable.

Too right...

Silly thing is, I know at least one of the "regulars" has a driving ban for drink driving (it was in the newspaper and, you know, everyone hears about everything in a little village), yet they still drive their car to and from the pub. Not like there's any police (let alone traffic police) around here anyway  7

What are you waiting for, another death, dob them in for god's sake?!

I never said I didn't! :p

Avatar
StraelGuy | 6 years ago
1 like

Bring back hanging. Seriously.

Avatar
atlaz | 6 years ago
1 like

Organ by name. Organ by nature

Avatar
hughw | 6 years ago
18 likes

so if a drunk person doing 2-3 times the speed limit, who then leaves the scene of the accident and doesn't admit the crime doesn't recieve the maximum sentence, who does?

 

Crazy

Avatar
HLaB replied to hughw | 6 years ago
4 likes

hughw wrote:

so if a drunk person doing 2-3 times the speed limit, who then leaves the scene of the accident and doesn't admit the crime doesn't recieve the maximum sentence, who does?

 

Crazy

The one who doesn't hit a cyclist  2

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