Cycle death father is 'not angry'

Clockwise from top left: Thomas Harland, Wayne Wilkes, Maurice Broadbent, Dave Horrocks

The father of one of four cyclists killed after a car skidded on ice feels no anger towards the motorist, an inquest jury has been told.

Jonathan Harland, whose son Thomas, 14, was killed on the A547 near Abergele, Conwy in 2006, said in a statement that anger would not bring his son back.

Mr Harland injured his leg in the crash, which killed Maurice Broadbent, Dave Horrocks and Wayne Wilkes.

The driver was later fined and given six points for defective tyres.

The cyclists - all members of Rhyl Cycling Club - had been riding on the A547 on 8 January 2006 not far from the start of a 60-mile (97 km) Sunday club ride to Llandudno's Great Orme on 8 January, 2006.

Mr Harland told the inquest in Abergele town hall that he and his son had been cycling alongside each other.

The first he knew something was wrong was when he saw a car heading for the cyclists sideways on, he said. He estimated its speed at 60mph or more.

I took one last look at Thomas and said goodbye Jonathan Harland

In a statement given to police shortly after the incident, and read out at the inquest in Abergele town hall, Mr Harland said that as the car ploughed into the group, he was knocked from his bike after receiving a glancing blow.

"I saw Tom lying on the crash and went over to him," the statement said.

"I could tell by the severity of the head injury that he was dead. His spirit had gone."

Mr Harland said he then saw the club's chairman Maurice Broadbent, 61, lying in the road and that he was clearly dead.

'Riding very responsibly'

He was unaware of the deaths of two other club members, Wayne Wilkes, 42, and Dave Horrocks, 55, until later.

In his statement, Mr Harland recalled that as he was taken to the ambulance, "I took one last look at Thomas and said goodbye".

He said the group were riding very responsibly and in a disciplined fashion. They were all wearing safety helmets.

Referring to the car driver, he said in his statement: "I don't feel anger towards him because it's not going to bring my son back.

"However, I would like to know how and why he lost control because there must be several others who got around the corner without losing control."

After the accident, driver Robert Harris, 47, from Abergele, was fined £180 with £35 costs and given six points on his licence after admitting having defective tyres.

Magistrates in Llandudno decided in August 2006 the defective tyres on the car had not been a factor in the collision, which happened on a road which had not been gritted that morning.

The inquest, which is expected to last about a month, continues.