New biker, 71, died of excitement

John Parsons, a retired engineer from Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, suffered a heart attack on his 125cc Honda and fell into the path of an oncoming car.

The bike was delivered the day before and he was "very excited" about riding on it, the Cardiff inquest was told.

Recording a narrative verdict, coroner Mary Hassell said Mr Parsons suffered a heart attack while riding his bike.

The inquest was told that Mr Parsons had wanted the bike for years but his wife Myra had prevented him buying one.

Miss Hassell said Mr Parsons had wanted to ride the motorbike for so many years "and when she was alive his wife had put a stop to it, as wives often do".

"When she was alive his wife had put a stop to it, as wives often do"
Coroner Mary Hassell on John Parsons' earlier desire to buy a motorbike

But after her death from cancer last summer, he went ahead and bought the machine to comfort himself.

Recording a narrative verdict, Miss Hassell told the hearing: "He went out doing something that he had wanted to do for so many years."

The hearing was told Mr Parsons suffered chest pains which caused him to wobble and fall under the wheels of a Range Rover on Five Mile Lane at Bonvilston in the Vale of Glamorgan last September.

Range Rover driver Stephen McKay said: "He came off and slid under the wheels of my car.

"There was nowhere I could go. I didn't stand a chance."

Miss Hassell said: "The excitement was too much for his heart. He went out doing something that he wanted to do for so many years.

"In some ways, what a way to go."