Dalston fatal e-bike crash rider 'going too fast'

Sakine Cihan was crossing Kingsland High Street in Dalston when she was struck

A cyclist accused of killing a pedestrian while riding a modified e-bike was travelling more than 10mph over the speed limit, a jury heard.

Thomas Hanlon, 32, was "going way too quickly" when he hit Sakine Cihan in Kingsland High Street in Dalston, east London, the Old Bailey heard.

Mrs Cihan, 56, suffered a "catastrophic" head injury and died the next day, jurors heard.

Mr Hanlon denies causing death by careless driving.

Under the law, e-bikes which are fitted with an electric motor can only be driven without a licence or insurance if their power is limited and if the motor automatically switches off at speeds above 15.5 mph.

The court heard Mr Hanlon's bike was capable of going double that speed and as such should have been categorised as a motorbike.

'Jesus, that's fast'

Prosecutor Nathan Rasiah read out a statement by cyclist Raymond Murphy, a witness to the 28 August crash, who said he was "struck" that Mr Hanlon's bike was "going way too quickly for a normal electric bicycle".

"He described riding along approaching the station and becoming aware of a bike travelling very quickly past him, but heading in the same direction as him.

"He recalls thinking 'Jesus, that's fast'," Mr Rasiah.

A few moments later, Mr Murphy "suddenly saw arms and legs everywhere, flying in the air", the court heard.

Mr Rasiah quoted a second witness, Joshua Stubbs, as saying: "It looked like their heads made contact then the cyclist fell to the ground.

"After a few seconds the cyclist got up and looked dazed and confused, the lady lay motionless on the road."

The court was told Mr Hanlon left the scene despite a passer-by trying to stop him

Jurors were shown CCTV footage of Mrs Cihan stepping off the pavement and running in front of Mr Hanlon, of Queen's Drive, Leyton, east London.

The court was told Mr Hanlon left the scene despite a passer-by trying to stop him.

The jury heard that, when interviewed by the police, Mr Hanlon admitted leaving the scene but said he had no time to swerve as Mrs Cihan had crossed the road unexpectedly.

Quoting from the police interview, Mr Rasiah said: "She rushed out in front of me to cross and she didn't even look at me."

Mr Rasiah told jurors the lights at the crossing were green for traffic but he said Mr Hanlon's speed amounted to driving without due care and attention.

Both the prosecution and defence agree that Mr Hanlon did not have a licence or insurance for a motorbike.

But he denies further charges of causing death while uninsured and causing death while unlicensed.

The court heard he is contesting these because they require a fault in the driving which contributed to Ms Cihan's death.

The case continues.