A MAN accused of being involved in a fatal ‘road-rage’ incident when a cyclist died told jurors he never saw the accident.

David Ferry and Paige Robinson are both charged with causing the death of father-of-two Graham Pattison after they allegedly became embroiled in a dispute while travelling in separate cars.

The 47-year-old told Teesside Crown Court how he had pipped his horn at Robinson when she cut in front of her as they came off a dual carriageway but maintained it was the 24-year-old who was the aggressive driver in the ensuing dispute.

The Northern Echo: Graham Pattison. Picture: CLEVELAND POLICEGraham Pattison. Picture: CLEVELAND POLICE

The ex-Army officer told jurors that following the initial clash he opted to ignore the attention of Robinson and her partner as they followed him along the A698 towards Hartlepool while flashing their lights and making angry gestures.

Giving evidence during the trial, Ferry said he would have stopped to try and help the stricken cyclist if he had seen the collision.

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His defence barrister, Dan Cordey, quizzed Ferry about his driving behaviour in the moments leading up to Mr Pattison's death on July 24, 2020 after their initial confrontation.

The defendant said: "She caught up with me and started tailgating me."

Mr Cordey asked: "At that stage, did you realise to was the same Fiesta?"

He replied: "I did when she caught right up."

When asked what he would have done if he had seen the cyclist get hit by Robinson's car, he replied: "I would have definitely pulled over, I had done a lot of first aid training and would have tried to help."

Ferry told the court that he was calm under pressure after serving tours of duty in Northern Ireland, Kosovo, Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq during his 12-year military service.

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Jurors had heard how Robinson blamed Ferry for causing the fatal collision when he ‘swerved’ towards her Ford Fiesta on the A689 in his Audi.

Under cross examination by Robinson's barrister, Martin Sharpe, Ferry denied driving dangerously or speeding off following the collision to avoid responsibility.

Earlier in the trial, the jury heard how Mr Pattison suffered catastrophic injuries including fractures to his spine when he was flung from his bike when Robinson drove into the rear of him.

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

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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