T
Tom Crispin
Guest
A Vietnamese restaurant owner who admitted causing the death of a
cyclist in Greenwich Park by dangerous driving was fined £2,500 and
banned from driving for five years at Woolwich Crown Court on
Wednesday.
Coong Duong Voong, 59, from Woolwich, had pleaded guilty on February
28 to the charge which arose out of a collision last June.
The victim was Leonard Woods who commuted by cycle between Burnt Ash
Lane, Bromley, and Tower Hamlets.
The crown prosecution said Voong's Honda had negotiated the roundabout
at the top of The Avenue in the park at around 4.45 pm on June 26 and
was heading downhill.
"There are no road markings at this point, the road is about six
metres wide, and the defendant would have had a clear view down the
hill. A taxi driver who was coming up the hill saw the Honda alter
course, in a brisk movement, and collide with the cyclist," the
prosecutor said. The police accident investigation unit had concluded
it was impossible to establish the exact speed of impact, but
witnesses put the speed of the car at about 30 mph – the legal limit.
Police also stated that the car's windscreen appeared to have
shattered at the moment of impact with the cyclist, and not before, as
the defendant’s evidence that his windscreen suddenly "went white" had
suggested.
Voong's defence lawyer said the defendant could not account for the
accident, but accepted full responsibility. "It was momentary
inattention. There is no suggestion of excessive speed," the defence
added.
Voong had apologized to the victim's widow and two daughters and
offered to help the family in any way. The court was told he had
voluntarily surrendered his licence after the collision. In a
pre-sentence report Voong was said to be of previously good character
with a clean record, a devout Buddhist, and had been diagnosed as
clinically depressed since the incident. He had originally fled
Vietnam as the captain of a refugee boat to Hong Kong before settling
in this country where he runs a takeaway restaurant.
"Normally this offence would incur a custodial sentence, but
exceptionally I am going to spare you that bearing in mind that you
pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, have shown remorse, and there
was no evidence of excessive speed," the judge said.
Voong was fined £2,500, to be paid within 28 days or risk a 45-day
jail sentence, banned from driving for 5 years, had his licence
endorsed, and was ordered to pass an extended driving test after the
disqualification period.
cyclist in Greenwich Park by dangerous driving was fined £2,500 and
banned from driving for five years at Woolwich Crown Court on
Wednesday.
Coong Duong Voong, 59, from Woolwich, had pleaded guilty on February
28 to the charge which arose out of a collision last June.
The victim was Leonard Woods who commuted by cycle between Burnt Ash
Lane, Bromley, and Tower Hamlets.
The crown prosecution said Voong's Honda had negotiated the roundabout
at the top of The Avenue in the park at around 4.45 pm on June 26 and
was heading downhill.
"There are no road markings at this point, the road is about six
metres wide, and the defendant would have had a clear view down the
hill. A taxi driver who was coming up the hill saw the Honda alter
course, in a brisk movement, and collide with the cyclist," the
prosecutor said. The police accident investigation unit had concluded
it was impossible to establish the exact speed of impact, but
witnesses put the speed of the car at about 30 mph – the legal limit.
Police also stated that the car's windscreen appeared to have
shattered at the moment of impact with the cyclist, and not before, as
the defendant’s evidence that his windscreen suddenly "went white" had
suggested.
Voong's defence lawyer said the defendant could not account for the
accident, but accepted full responsibility. "It was momentary
inattention. There is no suggestion of excessive speed," the defence
added.
Voong had apologized to the victim's widow and two daughters and
offered to help the family in any way. The court was told he had
voluntarily surrendered his licence after the collision. In a
pre-sentence report Voong was said to be of previously good character
with a clean record, a devout Buddhist, and had been diagnosed as
clinically depressed since the incident. He had originally fled
Vietnam as the captain of a refugee boat to Hong Kong before settling
in this country where he runs a takeaway restaurant.
"Normally this offence would incur a custodial sentence, but
exceptionally I am going to spare you that bearing in mind that you
pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, have shown remorse, and there
was no evidence of excessive speed," the judge said.
Voong was fined £2,500, to be paid within 28 days or risk a 45-day
jail sentence, banned from driving for 5 years, had his licence
endorsed, and was ordered to pass an extended driving test after the
disqualification period.
