A cycling charity is to fund an attempt to force the Metropolitan Police to reconsider its decision not to take action against a motorist over the death of a cyclist.
The Cyclists’ Defence Fund has decided to back Anna Tatton-Brown’s bid to have the case of her father Michael Mason re-examined.
The 70-year-old stand-in teacher died in hospital in March, three weeks after he was hit from behind in the West End by driver Gale Purcell.
The CDF will also provide backing to consider whether there are grounds to bring a private prosecution if the Met refuses to reconsider. The charity believes police officers may have failed to follow prosecution guidelines.
This month Dr William Dolman ruled at Westminster coroner’s court that Mr Mason had died from a traumatic brain injury as a result of an “accident” after the Met said there was insufficient evidence to prosecute Mrs Purcell.
The Cyclists’ Defence Fund, set up by national cycling charity CTC, has commissioned Martin Porter QC, an expert in cases involving cyclists, to raise the matter with the police and the Crown Prosecution Service, which was not consulted on the Met’s decision. Ms Tatton-Brown, a BBC journalist, said: “If [my father] were alive now, I’ve no doubt that he would be fighting tooth and nail to get some kind of justice. It doesn’t feel right to just let this lie.”
Roger Geffen, campaigns and policy director at CTC and a CDF trustee, said: “The fund was set up precisely to champion and support issues related to cycling and the law.
“We will aim to reverse the Met’s decision not to prosecute and help achieve the closure of justice for [the] family.”
A Met spokesman said: “The coroner would have ordered us to reinvestigate if he wasn’t satisfied. There were no grounds for arrest and no grounds for charge. If any witnesses can come forward to challenge that, we would be willing to hear from them.”
