Motorcyclist jailed for killing man on crossing

The judge paid tribute to the victim's son and daughter, who gave "heart-rending" victim impact statements

A speeding motorcyclist who knocked down and killed an 86-year-old man on a pedestrian crossing has been jailed for one year and nine months.

Daniel Redpath, 25, was riding at speeds of up to 64mph (103km/h) on Croydon Road in Bromley, south London, with a 40mph speed limit, when he hit Kunwar Singh on the afternoon of 18 April 2023.

Redpath had denied he was driving dangerously and admitted the lesser offence of causing death by careless driving.

At the Old Bailey, Judge Richard Marks KC said Redpath had displayed a "clear disregard for the rules of the road" and the offence was so serious that only immediate custody would do.

'Killed on impact'

The defendant had left work early and was on his way to do some DIY jobs for his mother when he hit Mr Singh.

Married father-of-two Mr Singh, who was about to celebrate his golden wedding anniversary, would have been killed almost immediately on impact, the court was told.

At the time of the crash, Redpath only had a provisional driving licence and was not displaying L plates on the front of his bike, the court heard.

His full licence had been revoked after he accrued six penalty points within the first two years of qualifying.

The court was told Redpath had a previous conviction for driving while disqualified and had a number of endorsements on his licence.

Members of the public rushed to Mr Singh's aid but he was pronounced dead at the scene

In mitigation, Jade Gambrill said the defendant had shown "significant remorse" and suffered from flashbacks and thoughts of self-harm.

However, Judge Marks noted the defendant had initially sought to blame Mr Singh for what happened and posted Facebook messages "rejoicing" at the return of his bike about a year after the collision.

He said the defendant's posts on social media were "at the very least unattractive and not in accordance with remorse".

Redpath was disqualified from driving for three years from the time of his release.