Cyclist fined £500 after Regent's Park collision left pedestrian with facial fractures
Matthew Thornley admitted riding on the wrong side of the road and was ordered to pay compensation after striking Paola Dos Santos in May
A cyclist who collided with a pedestrian in Regent's Park, leaving her unconscious and with multiple facial fractures, was fined £500 after admitting a charge of riding without due care and attention.
Matthew Thornley, 45, pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates' Court and was ordered to pay £2,500 in compensation, a £200 victim surcharge and £85 in costs for the collision in May 2024 that injured 53-year-old Paola Dos Santos.
Prosecutors told the court that Thornley was doing laps with a group of Club Peloton riders when he attempted to overtake a car on Hanover Terrace road and was riding on the wrong side of the road. Ms. Dos Santos, a mother of three, was crossing the road at the time and was struck by the cyclist, who the prosecution said was travelling towards her on the wrong side.
As a result of the impact, Ms. Dos Santos was rendered unconscious and suffered fractures to her jawbone, cheekbone, eye socket and sinuses, the court heard. Thornley, of Camden, northwest London, is a director of an architecture firm.
Thornley initially denied the charge of riding without due care and attention and had been due to face trial. He later changed his plea to guilty at a hearing on Wednesday and was sentenced by the magistrates.
The defendant had previously disputed allegations that he was exceeding the park's 20mph limit and told authorities he performed an "evasive manoeuvre" to avoid a car, according to court reports. Those assertions were made before he entered the guilty plea.
Magistrates imposed the fine and compensation following submissions on the impact of the collision. The court record lists the penalties as a £500 fine, £2,500 in compensation to the victim, a £200 victim surcharge and £85 in costs.
Regent's Park is a public space frequently used by cyclists, pedestrians and recreational groups. The case highlights legal accountability for incidents involving cyclists and pedestrians on public roads and parkways, and follows a pattern of courts addressing collisions where vulnerable road users are injured. No further travel or professional restrictions were reported in the court's sentencing documentation.