Overview
- Maidstone Crown Court imposed a 15-month sentence suspended for two years, plus 15 days of rehabilitative activity and 180 hours of unpaid work for Clifford Cage.
- Cage struck 91-year-old James “Jim” Blackwood on the pavement in Rochester on July 6, 2023; Blackwood died on October 13 from injuries including a brain bleed and organ damage.
- Judge Julian Smith said Blackwood “suffered significantly” and told Cage he should not have been riding on the path in that way, with CCTV and evidence putting his speed at about 12mph.
- The CPS called the case a legal first and said the e-bike’s power meant driving-offence laws did not apply, leaving a choice between the archaic ‘wanton and furious’ offence or manslaughter.
- Blackwood’s family embraced Cage in court and urged safer streets and clearer e-bike rules, as proposals in Parliament seek to align cycling offences more closely with motoring law.