A WOMAN who killed a cyclist when she drove into the rear of him has denied being responsible for his death.

Graham Pattison suffered catastrophic injuries when he was thrown from his bike when Paige Robinson smashed into him while she was embroiled in a ‘road-rage’ incident with another motorist, a jury heard.

The 24-year-old blamed the other driver, David Ferry, for causing the fatal collision when he ‘swerved’ towards her car on the A689 driving towards Hartlepool on July 24, 2020.

The Northern Echo: Graham Pattison, 49, from Hartlepool, died in a crash when he was travelling on his pedal cycle on the A689 eastbound between Wynyard and Sedgefield. Picture: CLEVELAND POLICEGraham Pattison, 49, from Hartlepool, died in a crash when he was travelling on his pedal cycle on the A689 eastbound between Wynyard and Sedgefield. Picture: CLEVELAND POLICE

The pair are both on trial at Teesside Crown Court accused of causing the death of dad-of-two after allegedly using the road as their own ‘racetrack’.

Read more: 'Road-rage' pair accused of causing death of dad-of-two cyclist

In a transcript of her police interview, which was read out in court, Robinson denied being responsible for the accident and laid the blame on her co-accused.

She told officers: “I was behind him in the fast lane and he kept putting his brakes on as if he wanted me to go into the back of him, so I was not going to stay in the fast lane and left. I indicated to go into the left lane and as I have done so, he has slowed down and swerved into me and I swerved out of the way and hit the cyclist.

“I didn’t see the cyclist when I swerved because I was concentrating on him swerving into me.”

Michael Woodhouse, a police collision investigator, told the jury that both defendants should have been able to see the cyclist as he rode along the dual carriageway.

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Under cross examination from Robinson’s defence barrister, Martin Sharpe, the witness confirmed that Mr Pattison had small LED lights on his bike that were flashing - that these are designed to make the cyclist more visible.

The court had heard how 24-year-old Robinson was driving the white Ford Fiesta at the time of the incident while Ferry, 47, was driving his black Audi.

The Northern Echo: The A689 near Hartlepool. Picture: GOOGLEThe A689 near Hartlepool. Picture: GOOGLE

Earlier in the trial, jurors heard how the emergency services helped Mr Pattison, but he had suffered severe spinal injuries, and was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital.

Trevor Smith, who was driving behind the two cars in the moments leading up to the fatal incident, told the jury – ‘the white car swerved to the left and it was a “speed wobble” as if she was trying to get the car under control. The brake lights went on at that point’.

Robinson, of Geranium Close in Billingham and Ferry, 47, of Granville Terrace in Redcar, both deny the charge of causing death by dangerous driving.

The trial continues.

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