Man admits killing mother of Olympic cyclist Chris Boardman through careless driving

Carol Boardman died in 2016

Liam and Victoria Rosney arrive at Mold crown court (PA Wire/PA Images)

A man has admitted killing Carol Boardman, the mother of Olympic cyclist Chris Boardman, through careless driving.

Liam Rosney pleaded guilty at Mold crown court on Monday as his trial was due to begin.

Rosney drove over Ms Boardman after she fell from her bicycle on a mini-roundabout in Connah’s Quay, North Wales, on 16 July 2016.

The 75-year-old suffered multiple injuries in the incident, which took place at about 1.45pm.

She was taken to hospital where she later died.

Rosney, of Welland Drive, Connah’s Quay, admitted causing death by careless driving but denied a more serious charge of causing death by dangerous driving.

Matthew Curtis, prosecuting, said the Crown Prosecution Service had carefully considered the position and did not invite a trial in relation to the more serious charge.

On Monday a jury was sworn in for the trial, which had been expected to last three or four days. It was discharged after Rosney pleaded guilty.

The prosecution had alleged that the 33-year-old was on the phone to his wife, Victoria, seconds before the crash happened.

Mr Curtis said that in the minutes leading to the crash Rosney took three phone calls while driving his Mitsubishi pick-up truck.

The car did not have a hands-free facility.

“The phone was being used on speaker mode, not requiring the defendant to handle the phone as he was talking, but plainly to accept or reject or end calls,” said Mr Curtis.

“The call ended prior to entry on to the roundabout, we know that from billing data.

“What we will say the case is, then, is that the defendant continued to be distracted by a) the telephone calls which he had been taking, and b) his mobile telephone, which was on the passenger seat inside his vehicle.

“We know he did not see Mrs Boardman and first realised he may have collided with her when his vehicle was physically riding over Mrs Boardman’s body.”

The prosecution said that a witness, Kayleigh Anders, saw Rosney looking down towards his lap and talking, giving the impression that he was still talking on the phone.

Rosney had originally faced trial in July but the jury was discharged. He and his wife were both charged with perverting the course of justice after it was alleged that they deleted call logs from their phones, but the charges were later dropped.

Judge Rhys Rowlands said Rosney’s guilty plea would attract some credit when he was being sentenced but “nowhere near as much” as it would have if it had been made when he was on trial in July.

Chris Boardman posted a tribute to his mother on Twitter shortly after her death.

Mrs Boardman’s cyclist son won individual pursuit gold in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

“Our mum was the most positive, outgoing person you could ever hope to meet and her generosity of spirit inspired everyone she met,” he said.

“Many of our childhood memories involve my mother and the outdoors, walking out over Hoylake sandbank, swimming in the deep gullies or hunting for fossils on Llandegla Moor in North Wales.

“Wanting to share her passion for cycling, even well into her 70s, she often took groups of young novices out on their first forays into North Wales.

“We love you Carol, may the wind be ever at your back.”

Additional reporting by agencies