A speeding motorcyclist who knocked down and killed an 86-year-old pedestrian as he crossed the road has been jailed for one year and nine months.
Daniel Redpath, 25, was riding a rare classic Aprilia RX 125 off-road bike at speeds of up to 64mph on a busy residential street with a 40mph speed limit when he hit Kunwar Singh on the afternoon of April 18 2023.
The defendant had left work early and was on his way to do some DIY jobs for his mother when he mowed down Mr Singh on a pedestrian crossing on Croydon Road in Bromley, Kent, the Old Bailey heard.
Married father-of-two Mr Singh would have been killed almost immediately on impact, the court was told.
Members of the public had rushed to his aid but he was pronounced dead at the scene at 3.28pm.
Redpath had denied he was driving dangerously and admitted the lesser offence of causing death by careless driving.
He also admitted an offence of driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence.
On Wednesday, Judge Richard Marks KC jailed Redpath for 21 months in prison and disqualified him from driving for three years from the time of his release.
The judge 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.
He paid tribute to Mr Singh’s son and daughter, who gave “heart-rending” victim impact statements, saying it was clear their father was “hugely loved and respected”.
The judge noted Mr Singh would have celebrated his golden wedding anniversary days after his death and his 80-year-old widow died in “heartbreak at the loss of her husband”.
The court heard that 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.
His full licence had been revoked after he accrued six penalty points within the first two years of qualifying.
The Aprilia motorbike was not fitted with front indicators or mirror and had a rear tyre unsuitable for use on the highway, the court heard.
Just before the crash, Redpath had overtaken a transit tipper and was travelling at speeds of between 48mph and 64mph, jurors heard.
Prosecutor Anna Pope said that Mr Singh had been walking along Croydon Road and made it part-way across the pedestrian crossing.
It was unclear whether he saw the approaching motorbike before he was struck and knocked to the ground after he stepped on to the eastbound carriageway, she said.
When questioned by police at the scene, Redpath said he had seen Mr Singh but thought he would stop and wait for him to pass but instead walked out without looking.
Ms Pope asserted it was Redpath’s responsibility to note the presence of the pedestrian and act accordingly, given his speed, the condition of his vehicle and the possibility he had not been seen.
The court was told Redpath had a previous conviction for driving whilst disqualified and had a number of endorsements on his licence.
In mitigation, Jade Gambrill said the defendant had shown “significant remorse” and suffered from flashbacks and feelings of self harm.
On his fears about going to prison, he had said: “I will either be someone I don’t recognise or I will not be here.”
The defendant had explained that he had not sold his bike because he did not want anyone else to ride it, Ms Gambrill said.
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 around 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”.
