Perseverance pays off as driver fined

Biking barrister Martin Porter QC has won a court victory against a driver who threatened him.

Martin, 49, who lives in Sunningdale and is one of Britain's leading personal injury specialists was originally told by the Crown Prosecution Service that it would not take action on the incident. But he refused to give up.

His perseverence paid off when Scott Lomas, 25 from Feltham was fined £250 at West London Magistrates Court on Wednesday, January 18 after he admitted using threatening words or behaviour.

He had lost his temper after struggling to pass Martin on a narrow stretch of road in Hounslow - part of the barrister's 30-mile daily trip to work.

Mr Porter later posted footage on YouTube filmed by a camera, attached to his cycle helmet, showing the incident. He can be heard in the film asking Lomas if he had just threatened to kill him - he answered 'yes'.

It made headlines, earning Martin a reputation as a leading campaigner for cyclists.

This week Martin, who is a member of Maidenhead Thames Velo Cycling Club and lives with his wife Kelly and two teenage daughters, admitted that his reputation as a top barrister gave him an advantage in his bid to get the CPS to change its mind. But he feels he was standing up for all cyclists.

He had some some advice for all cyclists, saying: "Always make sure you are visible. Don't be intimidated or put off by buillies on the road. Sooner or later the message will get across - that we have a complete right to the road."

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